I’m not surprised. I know at least 2 people who haven’t filed tax returns for about 10 years. Nothing from the IRS.
The IRS is a mess and has been for decades. I’m trying to get a refund check for a relative’s trust replaced because it was lost in the mail. I met with an IRS agent in person to file the tracing form in July 2023. I’ve subsequently faxed and snail mailed (the only ways the IRS will accept the form) the same form 4 additional times because I’ve never received any correspondence from the IRS regarding my inquiry and every time I call the IRS they tell me to resubmit the form. I’m still waiting and it’s now over a year since it was originally issued.
I wouldn’t recommend it. My brother got behind on filing taxes, and it just sort of snowballed. He had overwhelming depression, so he assumed the worst. When he passed away in 2018, another brother handled his estate. He had to file all of the back taxes. Although the deceased brother did owe some back taxes, when all was said & done, he actually was owed more from the IRS for his unfiled taxes than what he owed them. And what a pain in the behind for my executor brother. I will say, though, that he had wonderful service from the IRS employee who helped him sort out the mess.
A man who worked in my organization, but in another region, was sentenced to two years in prison for tax evasion. He was extremely intelligent and well respected but was somehow influenced by some movement akin to the sovereign citizen’s. No one could believe it.
The irony was that he was against paying taxes, but worked for the federal government - which paid his salary from taxes.
I know someone who went to prison for tax evasion after getting away with it for years. I do not recommend you trying your luck.
More like, the author stopped filing taxes, and the IRS probably figures that most non-filers with only or primarily W-2 income are overwithholding (though the author may be an exception by false dependent declarations on the W-4), so they do not put much priority on enforcement of filing on those people.
Back in the 1990s, my uncle stopped filing taxes for his business for a good 10 years or so. It caught up with him, and the IRS liquidated his business, he had to sell his house, and move his children out of their home and schools. They survived, and he started over, but I would venture to guess that it was not worth it.
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