A Penticton man has been sentenced to 60 days in jail for ignoring a court order to file income tax returns.
David Kevin Lindsay was originally convicted in June 2008 of failing to file tax returns for 1997 through to 2001. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) reports Lindsay was recently sentenced in Kelowna provincial court for failing to comply with the subsequent court order to file his returns from those years.
When taxpayers are convicted of failing to file tax returns, in addition to any fines imposed by the courts, they must still file the returns and pay the full amount of taxes owing, plus interest owed, as well as any civil penalties that may be assessed by the CRA.
Taxpayers who have not filed returns for previous years, or who have not reported all of their income, can still voluntarily correct their tax affairs. They may not be penalized or prosecuted if they make a valid disclosure before they become aware of any compliance action being initiated by the CRA against them. These taxpayers may only have to pay the taxes owing, plus interest.