The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) said a Fruitvale resident, Timothy Garrett Turnbull, plead guilty in Rossland Provincial Court on July 4 to failing to comply with a Court Order to file his 2005, 2006 and 2007 personal tax returns.
Turnbull was fined $2,000 and given until July 3, 2014 to pay the fine. The outstanding returns have since been filed.
The preceding information was obtained from the court records.
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. More information on the Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP) can be found on the CRA's Web site at www.cra.gc.ca/voluntarydisclosures.