Honesty is not your policy

Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Since my first poll was such a huge success - deemed Best. Poll. Ever. by @Jac, April, 2010 - I decided to hold another solicitation for input. And while I didn't even try to pretend that my first poll was "hypothetical," I will make a half-ass attempt at trying to create the illusion that this poll is. Smoke. Mirrors. Convinced? Oh, good. I knew you would be.

Ready?

Here it goes.

What would you do if someone close to you (spouse, sibling, parent, or child) was actively cheating the IRS by pretending that they were not who they are, by say...changing the spelling of their name or forging their birth certificate or something?

Please go nuts in the comments section if you are so inclined.

Oh, and if you think this post is about you, chances are you are not paranoid because what is the likelihood that this exact post could be about someone else?

7 comments to Honesty is not your policy:

Anonymous said...

What would I do? Oh geez...freak the f#*$~ out. But I guess I wouldn't turn them in...but WOULD have a conversation with them making sure they understand the situation and be seriously disgusted and disappointed!!! I would also make sure there was no way that I could be linked to their cheating. If I could be, then that's a different story!

Anonymous said...

Agree with the above. I would feel the responsibility to remind them of the consequences (prison time!) and that you are really disappointed by their decision. I also would say that I probably wouldn't be there to support them if they got caught. Sometimes the harsh reality of the situation and how it will affect their relationships sets people straight.
As far as reporting, I don't think I would go that far and would probably deny all knowledge of it. Unless they did get away with it and became a repeat offender.

Cloud said...

Oh geez. This would kill me, especially if it was my kid. I hope I'm raising my kids better! I'd probably have a long heart to heart and offer to help them come clean. I imagine it is going to take a big chunk of money to come clean, and that is the impediment. I guess right now, I kinda need to save my big chunks of money for my unemployed self, but still... there must be a way to fix it!

If they wouldn't fix it, I guess I wouldn't turn them in, since I've known about people with phony marriages for immigration purposes, and I haven't turned them in. But it is the sort of thing that makes me very uncomfortable to know!

Claudia said...

Dammit, forgot to sign in with the cryptic word and lost my post.

In short, if they were my spouse, it affects me so I'd flip out.
Other people, I'd ask them if they have a defensible (to me) reason to commit fraud (not likely), and if they understand the seriousness of their actions, and what indeed would they do should they get caught, i.e. how their loved ones will fare while they get familiar with the prison library.

mom2boy said...

(I forget the cryptic word almost every time. It's the lost comments that are the brilliant ones, I swear.)

I'm scared to death of the IRS (waving to Wesley Snipes). I don't know what I'd do. Cry probably. Is the person telling people as though they aren't going to get caught? Was the secret stumbled upon? I guess I'd tell them to stop and hire an attorney.

No joke, my ex step father fled to Nicaragua for a while after he got in trouble for fudging tax returns. He's back in the States and never went to prison but he was out of the country for a few years. Bizarre stuff.

SarcastiCarrie said...

Some of it depends on motivition, like illegal immigrants not wanting to go back (for whatever reason). I do understand the rationale there and there isn't really an option unless you want to get caught.

And Cloud's point about if it was your own child...well, I hadn't even thought of the scofflaw being Chuckles or Bobo. Good grief.

I would keep my fingerprints off that trainwreck is what I am saying.

hush said...

What @Claudia said about if it were my spouse, I'd flip out! And no joke, I'd do a knee-jerk contemplation of a separation because I wouldn't want to put my children at risk like that - they'll need one parent who isn't going to be doing time. With bad judgment like that about finances, what other poor decisions are being made that I don't know about??! I'd also probably call a lawyer privately to figure out what my options and responsibilities are.

If it were someone I am not married to... I agree with what @mom2boy said about being scared shitless of the IRS. "Telling them to stop and hire an attorney" = best piece of advice I could imagine in an effed up scenario like that. And like @Cloud said, I'd pray to sweet baby Jeebus that it wasn't one of my kids!!!

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