{"id":13298,"date":"2018-09-04T08:00:26","date_gmt":"2018-09-04T13:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/?p=13298"},"modified":"2019-03-05T17:46:51","modified_gmt":"2019-03-05T23:46:51","slug":"the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/","title":{"rendered":"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In 2016, Tennessee business owner Larry Thornton was sentenced to a year in prison and fined close to $10 million for his failure to pay over $8 million in employment taxes. Although his is a more extreme example of employment tax fraud, Thornton\u2019s case is in line with the trend of fraud cases becoming more expensive, despite fewer cases being investigated.<\/p>\n<p>In March 2017, the IRS watchdog, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, issued a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.treasury.gov\/tigta\/iereports\/2017reports\/2017IER004fr.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-wa-link=\"body_treasury-tigta2017report\" target=\"_blank\">report<\/a>\u00a0calling for a more focused strategy to deal with the shocking number of employment tax crimes. The report asserted the rate of these crimes &#8211; the willful failure to account for and deposit employment taxes &#8211; is on a steady incline. Although they say the number of employers conducting this type of fraud tripled in 17 years, there were 38 percent fewer assessments between 2010 and 2015, and fewer than 100 criminal convictions each year.<\/p>\n<p><b>U.S. Employers Pay Over $5.5 Billion Each Year<\/b><\/p>\n<p>New research by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/payroll.intuit.com\/\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener noreferrer\" data-wa-link=\"body_payroll\">QuickBooks\u00ae Payroll<\/a>\u00a0has revealed the almost $123 billion cost of IRS penalties for employment tax violations since 1995. The study discovered U.S. employers are paying more than $5.5 billion per year.<\/p>\n<p>The latest data comes from 2016, the most costly year for employers since 2009 &#8211; seeing a 41 percent annual increase from 2015 after a six-year decline. The annual cost of employment tax violations in 2016 reached more than $6 billion ($6,046,139,000). At the time of the study, data for 2017 had not yet been released by the IRS.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13351 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-costof-employment-tax-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Annual Cost of Employment Tax Violations\" width=\"546\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-costof-employment-tax-violations.jpg 546w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-costof-employment-tax-violations.jpg?resize=150,76 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-costof-employment-tax-violations.jpg?resize=300,152 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 546px) 100vw, 546px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The number of tax violations assessed by the IRS has been on a consistent decline since 1995 (the first year for which data is available). Despite the spike in costs in 2016, there has been a 45 percent decrease in the total number of violations over 22 years.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13358 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-employment-tax-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Number of Employment Tax Violations\" width=\"594\" height=\"253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-employment-tax-violations.jpg 594w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-employment-tax-violations.jpg?resize=150,64 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-employment-tax-violations.jpg?resize=300,128 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On average, the annual cost of employment tax violations over the 22-year period for which data is available comes to $5,588,162,000. In recent years, this number has been trending downward, while the average cost for each violation has risen.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13352 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-employment-tax-violation.jpg\" alt=\"Average Cost Per Employment Tax Violation\" width=\"495\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-employment-tax-violation.jpg 495w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-employment-tax-violation.jpg?resize=150,88 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-employment-tax-violation.jpg?resize=300,177 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>2016 saw a record high of $1,032 per violation \u2013 a 130 percent increase on the 1995 figure, when the average cost per violation was just $449.<\/p>\n<p><b>More Costly Tax Violations<\/b><\/p>\n<p>What these averages don\u2019t reveal, however, is that some types of employment tax violations are far more costly than others.<\/p>\n<p>The data shows employment tax fraud attracts the most heavy-handed response from the IRS compared to other violations. The average cost of an employment tax fraud violation is $23,598, compared to just $143 for bad check violations. The next most expensive type of violation, according to the IRS data, are tax estimation errors &#8211; costing $4,806 per violation on average. Tax errors follow closely behind in third place, costing employers $4,382 per violation.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13355 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-costof-employment-tax-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Average Cost of Employment Tax Violations\" width=\"364\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-costof-employment-tax-violations.jpg 364w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-costof-employment-tax-violations.jpg?resize=150,125 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-costof-employment-tax-violations.jpg?resize=300,250 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 364px) 100vw, 364px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Employment Tax Fraud<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If we look more closely at\u00a0employment tax fraud, we find the overall cost has trended downward over the past 11 years, while the average cost per violation has remained fairly constant, with fewer companies being prosecuted for fraud. The highest annual cost of employment tax fraud came in 2007, at $21.845 million.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13349 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-fraud-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Annual Cost of Fraud Violations\" width=\"476\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-fraud-violations.jpg 476w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-fraud-violations.jpg?resize=150,89 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-fraud-violations.jpg?resize=300,177 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 476px) 100vw, 476px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13360 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-fraud-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Number of Fraud Violations\" width=\"735\" height=\"258\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In 2001, the average cost per\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/compliance\/criminal-investigation\/employment-tax-evasion-schemes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-wa-link=\"body_irs-employtaxev\" target=\"_blank\">employment tax fraud<\/a>\u00a0violations reached $71,110,\u00a0a 22-year high, when the IRS brought cases against just 210 companies but recovered $16.277 million.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13354 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-fraud-violation.jpg\" alt=\"Average Cost Per Fraud Violation\" width=\"578\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-fraud-violation.jpg 578w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-fraud-violation.jpg?resize=150,76 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-fraud-violation.jpg?resize=300,152 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 578px) 100vw, 578px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Tax Estimation Violations<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Fines for\u00a0tax estimation\u00a0violations are on the decline, but the number of employers being prosecuted is not. The total annual cost of penalties for tax estimation violations has trended downward since 2005, dropping to $21,585 in 2016,\u00a0when the IRS assessed more than 8,000 penalties. Data prior to 2005 is not currently available.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13347 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-estimated-tax-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Annual Cost Estimated Tax Violations\" width=\"629\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-estimated-tax-violations.jpg 629w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-estimated-tax-violations.jpg?resize=150,66 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-estimated-tax-violations.jpg?resize=300,133 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The average cost per tax estimation violation has also seen a noticeable decrease over the past 12 years for which data is available. The high point again came in 2006, at $12,666, but by 2016, the figure was down to just $2,859, on average, per violation.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13356 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/cost-per-estimated-tax-violation.jpg\" alt=\"Cost Per Estimated Tax Violation\" width=\"629\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/cost-per-estimated-tax-violation.jpg 629w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/cost-per-estimated-tax-violation.jpg?resize=150,66 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/cost-per-estimated-tax-violation.jpg?resize=300,133 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The number of tax estimation violations rose significantly over the same period &#8211; from a low of 2,766 violations in 2005 to a high of 8,298 violations in 2016.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13359 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-estimated-tax-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Number of Estimated Tax Violations\" width=\"618\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-estimated-tax-violations.jpg 618w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-estimated-tax-violations.jpg?resize=150,67 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-estimated-tax-violations.jpg?resize=300,135 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Tax Accuracy Violations<\/i><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a similar story for tax accuracy violations. As with tax estimates, the cost of these violations appears to be on the decline &#8211; down to $3.409 million in 2016 compared to a high of $22.601 million in 2008. But at the same time, the number of violations being assessed by the IRS is trending upward.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13350 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-tax-error-accuracy-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Annual Cost of Tax Error [Accuracy] Violations\" width=\"533\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-tax-error-accuracy-violations.jpg 533w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-tax-error-accuracy-violations.jpg?resize=150,94 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-tax-error-accuracy-violations.jpg?resize=300,188 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The average cost per tax accuracy violation has moved in step with the annual cost, dropping to the lowest on record in 2016 at $1,802, compared to a 2008 high of $8,703 per violation.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13353 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-error-accuracy-violation.jpg\" alt=\"Average Cost Per Error [Accuracy] Violation\" width=\"605\" height=\"323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-error-accuracy-violation.jpg 605w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-error-accuracy-violation.jpg?resize=150,80 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-error-accuracy-violation.jpg?resize=300,160 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the number of tax accuracy violations has trended up\u2014though the 2016 figure (1,892 violations) is significantly lower than the 2012 high point of 2,964 violations.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13357 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-accuracy-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Number of Accuracy Violations\" width=\"655\" height=\"247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-accuracy-violations.jpg 655w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-accuracy-violations.jpg?resize=150,57 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-accuracy-violations.jpg?resize=300,113 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 655px) 100vw, 655px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Federal Tax Deposit Violations<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The annual cost of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/pub\/irs-pdf\/p3151.pdf\"title=\"\"  rel=\"nofollow\" data-wa-link=\"body_irs-p3151\" target=\"_blank\">federal tax deposit<\/a>\u00a0violations has declined somewhat since 1995, especially since 2000 when the total cost of IRS penalties reached a peak of $5.759 billion. In 2016, the cost of penalties was $3.086 billion &#8211; a 46 percent drop.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13348 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-federal-tax-deposit-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Annual Cost of Federal Tax Deposit Violations\" width=\"634\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-federal-tax-deposit-violations.jpg 634w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-federal-tax-deposit-violations.jpg?resize=150,63 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-federal-tax-deposit-violations.jpg?resize=300,126 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, federal tax deposit violation costs have consistently increased since 1995\u2014when the average per violation was $888 &#8211; to a high of $2,302 in 2016, making it the most costly year for federal tax violations on record.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13367 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-federal-tax-deposit-violation.jpg\" alt=\"Average Cost Per Federal Tax Deposit Violation\" width=\"556\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-federal-tax-deposit-violation.jpg 556w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-federal-tax-deposit-violation.jpg?resize=150,88 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-federal-tax-deposit-violation.jpg?resize=300,177 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Fewer Federal Assessments<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The good news for business owners is, while the cost of each federal tax deposit violation is rising, the number of violations being assessed by the IRS has dropped significantly since 1995. Back then, the IRS found 4.265 million violations compared to just 1.341 million in 2016.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13371 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-federal-tax-deposit-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Number of Federal Tax Deposit Violations\" width=\"593\" height=\"311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-federal-tax-deposit-violations.jpg 593w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-federal-tax-deposit-violations.jpg?resize=150,79 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-federal-tax-deposit-violations.jpg?resize=300,157 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Delinquency Violations<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The number of penalties assessed for delinquency violations is also declining. In 1995, there were almost 2 million violations, compared to just over 1 million in 2016.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13369 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-delinquency-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Number of Delinquency Violations\" width=\"620\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-delinquency-violations.jpg 620w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-delinquency-violations.jpg?resize=150,67 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-delinquency-violations.jpg?resize=300,135 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>But the costs are still on the rise. Over the same period, the cost of delinquency violations has trended upwards. There was a notable spike in 2016, the second highest on record when the annual cost of IRS penalties reached $1.722 million. This was a 98 percent increase over the previous year.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13362 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-delinquency-violation.jpg\" alt=\"Annual Cost of Delinquency Violation\" width=\"590\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-delinquency-violation.jpg 590w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-delinquency-violation.jpg?resize=150,75 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-delinquency-violation.jpg?resize=300,150 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In keeping with the theme, 2016 was also a notable year for the average cost of delinquency violations. It recorded, by far, the highest average cost per violation, at $1,567. By comparison, the lowest on record was 1995, at $298 per violation. That\u2019s a 426 percent increase!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13365 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-delinquency-violation.jpg\" alt=\"Average Cost Per Delinquency Violation\" width=\"588\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-delinquency-violation.jpg 588w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-delinquency-violation.jpg?resize=150,76 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-delinquency-violation.jpg?resize=300,151 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 588px) 100vw, 588px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Failure to Pay Violations<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Compared to other types of employment tax violations,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/newsroom\/failure-to-file-or-pay-penalties-eight-facts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-wa-link=\"body_irs-failuretofileFacts\" target=\"_blank\">failure to pay<\/a>\u00a0penalties have a relatively low average cost, but they are the most common. For example, in 2016, the IRS assessed 3.145 million failure to pay violations compared to just 233 for fraud. The numbers are, however, on the decline &#8211; down from a high of 4.621 million in 2006.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13370 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-failure-to-pay-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Number of Failure to Pay Violations\" width=\"541\" height=\"252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-failure-to-pay-violations.jpg 541w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-failure-to-pay-violations.jpg?resize=150,70 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-failure-to-pay-violations.jpg?resize=300,140 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 541px) 100vw, 541px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>While the overall number of failure to pay violations is decreasing, the cost is on the rise &#8211; most markedly so in the 11-year period since 2006.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13363 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-failure-to-pay-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Annual Cost of Failure to Pay Violations\" width=\"643\" height=\"265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-failure-to-pay-violations.jpg 643w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-failure-to-pay-violations.jpg?resize=150,62 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-failure-to-pay-violations.jpg?resize=300,124 300w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-failure-to-pay-violations.jpg?resize=640,265 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The logical conclusion of having fewer, more expensive violations for failing to pay employment tax is that average costs are rising. And the data shows this to be true. 2016 saw a record high in the average cost of failure to pay violations, reaching $365 compared to the 1995 low of $84.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13366 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-failure-to-pay-violation.jpg\" alt=\"Average Cost Per Failure to Pay Violation\" width=\"575\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-failure-to-pay-violation.jpg 575w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-failure-to-pay-violation.jpg?resize=150,76 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-failure-to-pay-violation.jpg?resize=300,152 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Bad Check Violations<\/i><\/p>\n<p>On average, of all the employment tax violations, bad checks cost employers the least. Violations for bad checks cost employers, on average, just $143. But they\u2019re common. The IRS assessed 262,532 penalties in 2016 alone. The numbers have also been on the rise in recent years, peaking in 2014 with a 22-year high of 480,174 violations, compared to just 33,613 in 2010.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13368 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-bad-check-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Number of Bad Check Violations\" width=\"564\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-bad-check-violations.jpg 564w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-bad-check-violations.jpg?resize=150,68 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/number-of-bad-check-violations.jpg?resize=300,136 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 564px) 100vw, 564px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The spike in the number of bad check violations correlates with a similar rise in the overall cost of these violations, up from $4.273 million in 1995 to $59.518 million &#8211; an increase of 1,293 percent. Average costs per violation have followed suit since 2010, but with only a gradual upward trend over the entire 22-year period.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13361 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-bad-check-violations.jpg\" alt=\"Annual Cost of Bad Check Violations\" width=\"602\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-bad-check-violations.jpg 602w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-bad-check-violations.jpg?resize=150,76 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-bad-check-violations.jpg?resize=300,151 300w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/annual-cost-of-bad-check-violations.jpg?resize=600,304 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-13364 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-bad-check-violation.jpg\" alt=\"Average Cost Per Bad Check Violation\" width=\"579\" height=\"242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-bad-check-violation.jpg 579w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-bad-check-violation.jpg?resize=150,63 150w, https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/average-cost-per-bad-check-violation.jpg?resize=300,125 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 579px) 100vw, 579px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Employment Tax Errors and You<\/b><\/p>\n<p>As your business clients\u2019 tax and accounting professional, you may already help your clients report on taxes withheld and deposits made. But as their trusted advisor, you have an opportunity to make a bigger impact, helping explain the cost of employment tax violations to help them understand the importance of making these payments on time, and the risks of not doing so, so that their business doesn\u2019t join the statistics.<\/p>\n<p><b>Editor\u2019s note: <\/b>This article was originally published on the <a href=\"https:\/\/quickbooks.intuit.com\/r\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-wa-link=\"body_qbResourceCenter\">QuickBooks Resource Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understand the employment tax landscape and work with your tax clients to ensure compliance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142099148,"featured_media":11589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rkv_browse_by_id":0,"rkv_cta_id":0,"rkv_optimize_for_pagespeed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"useModifiedDate":false,"customPublishDate":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[509474089],"tags":[10585],"intuit_collection":[],"intuit_series":[],"coauthors":[645513000],"class_list":["post-13298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tax-law-and-news","tag-small-business"],"header_image":"","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations - Tax Pro Center | Intuit<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations - Tax Pro Center | Intuit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understand the employment tax landscape and work with your tax clients to ensure compliance.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tax Pro Center | Intuit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IntuitAccountants\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-09-04T13:00:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-03-05T23:46:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"655\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"358\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kim Harris\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@IntuitAccts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@IntuitAccts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kim Harris\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kim Harris\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/01eabbf9e6b8695635ee769c438b5c74\"},\"headline\":\"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-09-04T13:00:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-03-05T23:46:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1328,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"small business\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Tax Law and News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/\",\"name\":\"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations - Tax Pro Center | Intuit\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-09-04T13:00:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-03-05T23:46:51+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg\",\"width\":655,\"height\":358,\"caption\":\"tax reform\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/tax-law-and-news\\\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/\",\"name\":\"Tax Pro Center | Intuit\",\"description\":\"Tax Pro Center\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Tax Pro Center | Intuit\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/Tax_Pro_Center_Logo_Final_large.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/Tax_Pro_Center_Logo_Final_large.webp\",\"width\":872,\"height\":160,\"caption\":\"Tax Pro Center | Intuit\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/IntuitAccountants\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/IntuitAccts\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/intuitaccountants\\\/?hl=en\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/intuit-accountants\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/01eabbf9e6b8695635ee769c438b5c74\",\"name\":\"Kim Harris\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/31cd50e2656ac584ea2e84a05edee415905f2ba1b333f13bffe075b00e368c7a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/31cd50e2656ac584ea2e84a05edee415905f2ba1b333f13bffe075b00e368c7a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/31cd50e2656ac584ea2e84a05edee415905f2ba1b333f13bffe075b00e368c7a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kim Harris\"},\"description\":\"Kim Harris studied journalism at Mills College. After teaching English in Thailand for three years, she returned to Boise, Idaho, to begin her career in content marketing. When she\u2019s not telling the world about TSheets by QuickBooks, you\u2019ll find her spending time with family and friends, learning about wine, or planning her next adventure.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/accountants.intuit.com\\\/taxprocenter\\\/author\\\/kimharristax\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations - Tax Pro Center | Intuit","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations - Tax Pro Center | Intuit","og_description":"Understand the employment tax landscape and work with your tax clients to ensure compliance.","og_url":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/","og_site_name":"Tax Pro Center | Intuit","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IntuitAccountants","article_published_time":"2018-09-04T13:00:26+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-03-05T23:46:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":655,"height":358,"url":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kim Harris","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@IntuitAccts","twitter_site":"@IntuitAccts","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kim Harris","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/"},"author":{"name":"Kim Harris","@id":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/#\/schema\/person\/01eabbf9e6b8695635ee769c438b5c74"},"headline":"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations","datePublished":"2018-09-04T13:00:26+00:00","dateModified":"2019-03-05T23:46:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/"},"wordCount":1328,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg","keywords":["small business"],"articleSection":["Tax Law and News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/","url":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/","name":"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations - Tax Pro Center | Intuit","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg","datePublished":"2018-09-04T13:00:26+00:00","dateModified":"2019-03-05T23:46:51+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg","width":655,"height":358,"caption":"tax reform"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-law-and-news\/the-123-billion-cost-of-employment-tax-violations\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The $123 Billion Cost of Employment Tax Violations"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/#website","url":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/","name":"Tax Pro Center | Intuit","description":"Tax Pro Center","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/#organization","name":"Tax Pro Center | Intuit","url":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tax_Pro_Center_Logo_Final_large.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tax_Pro_Center_Logo_Final_large.webp","width":872,"height":160,"caption":"Tax Pro Center | Intuit"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IntuitAccountants","https:\/\/x.com\/IntuitAccts","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/intuitaccountants\/?hl=en","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/intuit-accountants\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/#\/schema\/person\/01eabbf9e6b8695635ee769c438b5c74","name":"Kim Harris","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31cd50e2656ac584ea2e84a05edee415905f2ba1b333f13bffe075b00e368c7a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31cd50e2656ac584ea2e84a05edee415905f2ba1b333f13bffe075b00e368c7a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31cd50e2656ac584ea2e84a05edee415905f2ba1b333f13bffe075b00e368c7a?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Kim Harris"},"description":"Kim Harris studied journalism at Mills College. After teaching English in Thailand for three years, she returned to Boise, Idaho, to begin her career in content marketing. When she\u2019s not telling the world about TSheets by QuickBooks, you\u2019ll find her spending time with family and friends, learning about wine, or planning her next adventure.","url":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/author\/kimharristax\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/janhero-e1535554019610.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pazjGh-3su","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1468,"url":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/tax-law-and-news\/proper-hiring-and-tax-withholding-guidelines-for-domestic-employees\/","url_meta":{"origin":13298,"position":0},"title":"Proper Hiring and Tax Withholding Guidelines for Domestic Employees","author":"Sidney Kess, CPA Magazine","date":"September 14, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Do you or your clients have household help? Does your client have a nanny or babysitter, cleaning person, domestic worker, caretaker, health aide or private nurse? Numerous times in the past, the subject of household help has made national headlines \u2013 most notably concerning political figures who faced violations that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Tax Law and News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Tax Law and News","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/category\/tax-law-and-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/domestic-employees-e1508455015436.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/domestic-employees-e1508455015436.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/domestic-employees-e1508455015436.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/domestic-employees-e1508455015436.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22743,"url":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/tax-law-and-news\/creating-an-s-corporation-entity-can-reduce-self-employment-tax\/","url_meta":{"origin":13298,"position":1},"title":"Creating an S corporation entity can reduce self-employment tax","author":"Jim Buffington, CPA","date":"April 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Learn how sole proprietors may be able to reduce Social Security and Medicare taxes by creating an S corporation and paying a salary to the owner. Jim Buffington, CPA, explains","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Tax Law and News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Tax Law and News","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/category\/tax-law-and-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"S Corp","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S-Corps.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S-Corps.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S-Corps.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S-Corps.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16900,"url":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/tax-law-and-news\/how-to-help-your-small-business-clients-stay-on-top-of-payroll-tax-obligations\/","url_meta":{"origin":13298,"position":2},"title":"How to Help Your Small Business Clients Stay on Top of Payroll Tax Obligations","author":"Mike D'Avolio, CPA, JD","date":"August 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Help your small business and self-employed clients understand their payroll tax obligations with this comprehensive article from Mike D'Avolio, CPA, JD.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Tax Law and News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Tax Law and News","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/category\/tax-law-and-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"withholding and Form W-4","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/small-business-payroll-e1508457662524.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/small-business-payroll-e1508457662524.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/small-business-payroll-e1508457662524.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/small-business-payroll-e1508457662524.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11647,"url":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/tax-law-and-news\/electing-s-corp-status-may-not-save-on-self-employment-taxes-for-brokers\/","url_meta":{"origin":13298,"position":3},"title":"Electing S Corp Status May Not Save on Self-Employment Taxes for Brokers","author":"Liz Farr, CPA","date":"February 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Understand how S corporation status impacts self-employment taxes for brokers.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Tax Law and News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Tax Law and News","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/category\/tax-law-and-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"S Corporation tax status","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/secret-sauce-e1508452637841.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/secret-sauce-e1508452637841.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/secret-sauce-e1508452637841.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/secret-sauce-e1508452637841.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1909,"url":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/tax-law-and-news\/are-your-clients-subject-to-the-nanny-tax\/","url_meta":{"origin":13298,"position":4},"title":"Are Your Clients Subject to the Nanny Tax?","author":"Mike D'Avolio, CPA, JD","date":"February 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The \u201cNanny Tax\u201d provisions do not affect the majority of taxpayers and most will probably not be impacted by it. However, oftentimes when it does apply, the taxpayer isn\u2019t even aware of it. If you hire someone to work in your home, you may be subject to the Household Employment\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Tax Law and News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Tax Law and News","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/category\/tax-law-and-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young tax and accounting clients","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/clients.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23693,"url":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/client-relationships\/help-your-clients-battle-identity-theft-risk-related-to-unemployment-covid-19\/","url_meta":{"origin":13298,"position":5},"title":"Help your clients battle identity theft risk related to unemployment","author":"Intuit Accountants Team","date":"August 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Find out how you can help your clients who may be a victim of an unemployment scam or identity fraud.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Client Relationships&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Client Relationships","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/category\/client-relationships\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Beware of tax scams","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/scam-e1542670166413.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/scam-e1542670166413.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/scam-e1542670166413.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/142099148"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13298"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15484,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13298\/revisions\/15484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13298"},{"taxonomy":"intuit_collection","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/intuit_collection?post=13298"},{"taxonomy":"intuit_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/intuit_series?post=13298"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=13298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}