An Ontario court has fined a man $3,000 for failing to file tax returns, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced.
The CRA said that Messias Teves pled guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice in Guelph, Ont. to a total of three counts of failing to file tax returns. He was fined $1,000 per count, and has since filed all the outstanding returns.
The agency says that Teves failed to file his personal income tax returns from 2009 to 2011, and that it made several requests for the missing returns before serving Teves with notices demanding that the returns be filed. Failure to comply with these notices resulted in charges being laid, it notes.
The CRA says that, in addition to the fines imposed by the courts, those convicted of failing to file tax returns are still obligated to file the returns, and to pay any taxes owing, plus interest, and any civil penalties that it may assess. Taxpayers that voluntarily correct their affairs may not be penalized, or prosecuted, if they make a valid disclosure before they become aware of the CRA bringing compliance action against them. They may just have to pay taxes, plus interest.