under the table... taxes?

**Spaazkaz** · 02-22-2008 02:02 AM

Im 21, and have worked under the table for over a year. I graduated from a community college and haven't been able to find a job on the books. I work construction. Is there anything i should do about filing taxes? Im pretty lost should i just fill it out and put a bunch of zeros down? Any direction is appreciated. Thanks

**Spaazkaz** · 02-22-2008 02:03 AM

I apologize in advance if this is an ignorant question.

**ladyk5** · 02-22-2008 04:08 AM

hi there no question is stupid...but regarding taxes you have to consider one thing--are the people you working for reporting it. If they are not you will likely not get caught unless you do something stupid. If they are reporting you want to file even if it is only for a small amount. On the plus side you probably have some deductions you could take from it. Now I dont want to encourage not filing taxes but this is the basis of it.

**jasaunders** · 02-22-2008 08:06 AM

It is an ethical decision you have to make.
You are legally required to report your income to the IRS. whether or not you should is an ethical question you have to answer yourself; no one on this forum can give the answer to you.

**hockey97** · 02-22-2008 09:36 AM

Well if your being paid under the table then you don't file your taxes how ever you have to find....I forgot the term but I remember that you have to find out how your employer is handling it, I know for a fact that your employer can make it in a way where you have to handle the taxes yourself but I am not too sure how it goes about.

All I know for a fact if you file your taxes you can get into trouble and also the employer, because when you get a check you supposed to have deductions from that check have some of it S.S and so on...

I would suggest on talking about it with the employer they should tell you what to do. I would suggest to not take their word for it you have to find some way to truly find out how they deal with under the table employees. Most employers usually they don't report anything but I have heard stories about people in my area they get paid under the table and the IRS caught up with them and currently they are behind bars even and the employer didn't get in trouble because they declared that employers do their own tax.

Thats all I can say I am no lawyer but currently studying accounting in college well majoring in accounting.

I warn you that if you file your taxes and put a bunch of 0's you will get investigated by the IRS they would look at your assets.

So if you do plan to file you better know what your doing becuse it would take one mistake and you get the point.

**BusinessAdviser** · 02-22-2008 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by ladyk5

hi there no question is stupid...but regarding taxes you have to consider one thing--are the people you working for reporting it. If they are not you will likely not get caught unless you do something stupid. If they are reporting you want to file even if it is only for a small amount. On the plus side you probably have some deductions you could take from it. Now I dont want to encourage not filing taxes but this is the basis of it.

Even if they do report it, it all comes down to whether you get audited. As a small guy, research tends to indicate that you are better off not filing, from a purely cost-benefit perspective. Odds of being audited x (back taxes + penalties) < Odds of not being audited x taxes saved by not filing. (That's about right.)

Originally Posted by jasaunders

It is an ethical decision you have to make.
You are legally required to report your income to the IRS. whether or not you should is an ethical question you have to answer yourself; no one on this forum can give the answer to you.

It's more than just an ethical decision. Purely ethical decisions don't generally have legal ramifications. Determining whether to pay your taxes most certainly does have legal ramifications which should be considered in your determination. Moreover, others are affected by your decision as well, as I'll mention in a minute.

Originally Posted by hockey97

Well if your being paid under the table then you don't file your taxes how ever you have to find....I forgot the term but I remember that you have to find out how your employer is handling it, I know for a fact that your employer can make it in a way where you have to handle the taxes yourself but I am not too sure how it goes about.

All I know for a fact if you file your taxes you can get into trouble and also the employer, because when you get a check you supposed to have deductions from that check have some of it S.S and so on...

I would suggest on talking about it with the employer they should tell you what to do. I would suggest to not take their word for it you have to find some way to truly find out how they deal with under the table employees. Most employers usually they don't report anything but I have heard stories about people in my area they get paid under the table and the IRS caught up with them and currently they are behind bars even and the employer didn't get in trouble because they declared that employers do their own tax.

Thats all I can say I am no lawyer but currently studying accounting in college well majoring in accounting.

I warn you that if you file your taxes and put a bunch of 0's you will get investigated by the IRS they would look at your assets.

So if you do plan to file you better know what your doing becuse it would take one mistake and you get the point.

I wouldn't count on your employer not reporting payments made to you. Although the employer might save on a few employment taxes by doing so, remember that the employer gets to write off all payments to you, and thus has an incentive to report them and take the deduction rather than not report them and let YOU take the full "deduction."

Originally Posted by Spaazkaz

Im 21, and have worked under the table for over a year. I graduated from a community college and haven't been able to find a job on the books. I work construction. Is there anything i should do about filing taxes? Im pretty lost should i just fill it out and put a bunch of zeros down? Any direction is appreciated. Thanks

And finally back to you:

I have thought about this issue quite a bit, and it is one that has come up on this forum before.

My advice:

PAY YOUR DAMN TAXES!

Aside from any other consideration, you're screwing me and everyone else here when you don't. You're receiving the benefits of our and other people's tax dollars, but refusing to contribute yourself when you don't pay your taxes. I equate it to those people who merely sit and live off welfare their entire lives because there's no incentive to go get a job when other people will pay for them to live.

Don't be a parasite, be a citizen.

**jasaunders** · 02-22-2008 12:23 PM

I think it is purely an ethical issue. He is not asking is it against the law to not pay taxes. It is obviously against the law to not pay taxes. I interpreted the question as "Should I pay my taxes", Not "do I have to pay my taxes."

And the answer to should you pay your taxes, is "That's your decision."
If the question is "do I have to pay taxes", the answer is "if you owe taxes to the IRS then yes you have to pay them."

**BusinessAdviser** · 02-22-2008 12:35 PM

Fair enough. You have a legal duty to pay your tax obligation. You also have an ethical duty not to be a parasitic drain on society.

**Spaazkaz** · 02-23-2008 04:28 PM

Im not sure id have to pay if i filed? I dont make nearly enough (10$ wage), and have gotten money back everytime ive filed since i was 16. I go to school part time, so i am a student. Single, live on my own. My employer deffinitly doesn't report on paying me. Its just me him and another guy. Im literally handed cash randomly sometimes its 3 weeks in, sometimes its 2wice a week. He (bossman) is continuously reminding me to keep it off the record. Im still confused haha... how can i file without a w2? And how can i plug any numbers in my tax sheet if there is no real record? I dont understand why they would red flag me if i had zero's? I dont make anything on record so wouldn't it be worse if i said I made something? We are talking like 3,000-5,000$ total here for the last year. Im sorry if i cost each of you an extra $00.000000000001 if i dont file (i know it adds up, just wanted to pick). ahhh i dont know what im talkin about. I'll figure it out, I really appreciate everyone's input. -Spaz-