State Offers General Tax Amnesty
The Ohio Department of Taxation has launched a tax amnesty program in effect now through June 15. During that time, the state will forgive penalties and half the interest owed on back taxes that weren’t reported or paid.
Furthermore, those who are granted amnesty and pay their bill in full won’t face future criminal or civil prosecution.
The General Amnesty Program is available to people who owed back taxes as of May 1, 2011. The types of taxes covered include:
- Individual income
- Individual school district income
- Commercial activity tax (CAT)
- Sales and seller’s use
- Employer withholding
- School district employer withholding
- Corporation franchise
- Pass through entity
- Estate
- Gross Receipts of a natural gas company or a combined electric and gas company
- Motor fuel
- Cigarette or other tobacco products
- Dealers In intangibles
Not eligible for amnesty are any taxes for which the state has issued a delinquency notice or bill, and any taxes connected to an audit that is under way.
In addition, the Consumer’s Use Tax is not eligible for the General Amnesty Program, but may qualify under the Consumer’s Use Tax Amnesty program.
All amnesty requests that fit the criteria will be granted. Returns filed under the amnesty program will be subject to an audit just like any other return. Only taxes due as of last May are eligible.
It has been six years since a general amnesty program was last offered to Ohio businesses and individuals who were delinquent on their taxes.
State tax officials estimate the program might bring in $40 million, including $4 million in local sales tax or school-district income.
The tax department will continue to update its website at http:// tax.ohio.gov/faqs/Amnesty/ amnesty_general.stm as further information on the program becomes available.
Those who wish to receive automatic e-mail updates when new information is added may sign up for the department’s Tax Alert email notification system.