Every individual or business that?s earning an income is liable to pay the government a share of its income in the form of tax. Tax evasion is a term used when parties deliberately fail to pay the taxes that are applicable on them. Under the laws of almost every jurisdiction in the world, evasion is termed as a felony because it hampers the ability of a government to fund its own operations. There are both civil and criminal penalties associated with this act and this is said to be very dangerous because even an innocent and honest mistake of the taxpayers can have serious consequences.

Solutions for tax offence – VDP or tax amnesty program

Taxation rules and codes aren?t easy to understand. What people need to know is that tax avoidance and evasion are two difference concepts. Avoidance is very much legal while the latter is not. In case of evasion, some of the consequences include payment of penalties, fines and interests. Apart from that, they may also face the possibility of imprisonment, which can ruin their business and career. However, one would be lucky to discover that in case they are coming up short on the taxes they owe or they are facing criminal charges because of failure to pay, they can take advantage of the tax amnesty program that exists in almost all countries.

What is VDP or tax amnesty program

Tax amnesty program is also called Voluntary Disclosure Program short for VDP. It is basically a strategy that?s employed by the government officials for generating revenue. With this program, people who have underpaid or evaded taxes can make their payments without having to deal with interest and penalties. All taxpayers can usually take advantage of this program, but it also has an expiry date and complete disclosure should be made before that. There are benefits associated with such programs for the government and also the taxpayers. One such tax amnesty program that?s offered in Canada is the VDP or Voluntary Disclosure Program administrated by Canada Revenue Agency or short for CRA.

The benefits of VDP or tax amnesty program

As the name indicates, taxpayers who have committed tax fraud and evasion can come forward voluntarily and cooperate with the CRA for avoiding criminal prosecution. With the help of the CRA VDP or tax amnesty program, individuals and businesses have the opportunity to settle their taxes without having to pay a lot of interest or penalties and avoid criminal charges altogether. As for the Canada Revenue Agencies, they can also collect their past-due taxes with this program and avoid having to go through the expense and complications that are associated with a criminal trial.

Such tax amnesty programs are immensely beneficial, but taxpayers have to keep in mind that they need to disclose all their taxes by the deadlines that have been established as per the program. The tax amnesty period might not be a very long one, but it offers a business an opportunity to avoid any astronomical late fees. Some times CRA can even reduce the interest in addition to waive off the entire late fees. In some cases, individuals and businesses may also have to pay penalties if they had been offered a tax amnesty program, but did not take advantage of it. It is a good way of getting out of charges for evasion.

VDP or Tax amnesty program is no doubt a complicated and time consuming process, knowing how to navigate through the system is the key to get the criminal prosecution and penalties waived. Working with VDP experienced tax professionals helps a great deal in reducing your stress and achieving satisfactory results. Call Tax SOS for a free consultation at 1-877-982-9767.