02/16/2026
NBA legend John Stockton once said, “You just don’t pay your taxes for one thing. If you don’t pay your taxes one year, penalties and interest can eat that up in a heartbeat.” That’s not an exaggeration.
Take a simple example. A business owner earns $300,000 in a year and pays nothing to federal or state taxes. With a combined tax rate of roughly 35 percent, the initial tax bill would be about $105,000.
After one year, failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties, plus IRS interest and state penalties, can easily add another $50,000 or more. That puts the total balance well north of $155,000 in just twelve months, with costs continuing to grow. This is why filing and paying on time is critical. One missed year can turn into a long-term financial burden.