A few weeks ago, I posted a blog entry about the IRS amnesty program and the deadline for offshore tax evaders to turn themselves in. However, with the Wednesday deadline approaching, the Federal government has announced a 3-week extension. Check out the following article about the announcement courtesy of the Associated Press.
Procrastinating tax cheats will get a few extra weeks to apply for an amnesty program that has been flooded with applications from people who hid assets overseas.
The Internal Revenue Service said Monday it will extend the deadline, originally set for Wednesday, until Oct. 15.
More than 3,000 Americans have applied for the program, which promises no jail time and reduced penalties for tax dodgers who come forward, said a government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the agency has not publicly released the size of the program.
The IRS is extending the deadline to give a rush of applicants more time to prepare their paperwork. The agency said there will be no additional extensions.
Tax advisers said the program, combined with a high-profile case against Swiss banking giant UBS AG, has generated a lot of calls from nervous tax dodgers.
"They're sitting in disbelief that this is going on," said Richard Boggs, chief executive of Nationwide Tax Relief, a Los-Angeles-based tax firm that specializes in clients with tax debts exceeding $100,000. "I ask people to ask of themselves, 'What is their peace of mind worth? What is a fresh start worth? What is a clear conscience worth?'"
