I just went to MEPS to pull a job reservation and did an over the phone interview with someone confirming information on my application. Which is apparently the sf86
I made a few mistakes
First, I noticed that some of the information about my debts was wrong and didn’t have the information in front of me to correct it so I let it slide. I am currently paying on my debts but some account have been at one point or another over 120 days late and closed by creditors.
Second, I just found out from my wife that we never filed 2017 taxes. Long story. But on my form I stated that I never failed to file taxes. Taxes are now filled and a payment plan has been set up
Third, I was not honset when I stated that I did not owe any taxes. I owed $600 state tax from this year that I intended on paying this month and I did not include it on my application because at the time I filled out the form I had not yet completed my taxes. Not to mention $2000 in taxes from my newly filed 2017 returns.
I obviously plan on bringing all this up with my interviewer with detailed payment plans and no hold barred honsety and I am super nervous about how it will go.
Anybody have something similar? Advice?
The important thing is that you are addressing the issues. Sure, it would be great if your application were perfectly filled out but few actually are. A lot of the information cris-crossed while you were doing your application. What you need is a detailed explanation when you meet with your investigator. Document it, explain it, mitigate it.
Ed is correct that being in a payment plan essentially mitigates this. People fall behind. It happens. If it is excessive, and over time…even if in payment plans it is viewed derogatorily. However, as Ed said information crisscrossing, not knowing the wife did not file, etc is all in your favor. I would bring this up at the very beginning of the interview once you get the niceties out of the way.
So you don’t think he’ll nail me to the wall for this?
They will make note of it. You need proof it is on track and being fixed. You remain clearable, but will need explain the issues and reasons. It happens. My ex did not file in 2013 and I fought an audit for 18 months where they insisted my spousal support payments were not support but part of a financial settlement. I maintained my TS the entire time. These things happen to people and it is up to the people to address. They aren’t looking for perfect. They are looking for explainable and reasonable.
Nail to the wall is not how it works. You will have to explain why you didn’t file. Your wife not filing is not a justified excuse (the spouse taking care of family finances excuse is pretty common and tends to be the modern dog ate my homework). I would ask you why you did not remind your wife about filing taxes? If you were not sure about the tax filing, why you not check? Did you talk to your wife about your taxes? I would also report that you have a payment plan. I would also report if you have been making the required payments under the payment plan.
I grew up in a military family where the wife handled all the finances, and my mother was terrible at that job and hid the overspending from my father… Today, my father might’ve been demoted or discharged from losing his clearance. My upbringing is one reason I am a jerk my own personal finances with my partners.
If you have a clearance, or want a clearance, understand that finances are part of the big three in BI denial. Understand your finances. File your taxes every year. Start repayment plans before your investigation starts. If you have a clearance, let your FSO know about financial issues before they are notified by DoD. We are not going to interview your spouse for their confession (you’d be surprised how many try to throw their partner under the bus - not realizing we don’t hold the partner responsible), we are going to ask you the hard questions.
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BI touched on what I often explain: credibility, believability. saying “my wife didn’t file,” can be absolutely truthful, and 100% not sufficient as BI pointed out. It is easy to get sideways with the IRS and not always easy to prove you are right…even when you are. Hence my advice is pay it and check it to make sure all the time. You cannot change what happened, only how you deal with it now. Accept responsibility for it, and if your payment plan is working, speak to that. I would just own it, say you had a family process you did not check up on as your responsibility was…once detected, you not only fixed it, but moving forward you are now monitoring to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
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