I received a SOR for unfilled and unpaid taxes for 6 years. Some were filed and some were not. I was honest about the situation on the questionnaire and decided to hire a lawyer to assist with the SOR response. I am nearing the end of my timeline for providing a response. I just feel nervous about this process; however, I did set up payment arrangements and had all my taxes filed. I paid off the years I was able to pay off. I provided receipts and tax transcripts as well as character letters from numerous colleagues that I’ve worked for. My lawyer hasn’t said I should be good but he said he has seen worse situations. Im just nervous about potentially losing my job. Any advice?
To be on the safe side I’d brush off the resume and start looking. Not meant as a scare tactic, but better to be prepared. Besides, never hurts to keep the interviewing skills sharp.
Good luck.
And obviously, file/pay taxes on time in the future.
As I mentioned in response to a similar thread (who knows maybe it was this one), the thing that trips people up here is when they have only started working to clear up tax issues AFTER they find out it will be a problem for a clearance, or even if it just looks like that.
If there’s one thing they take a very dim view of, it is not paying taxes.
yeah, if I was forced to pick 3 top things to not have in your background when considering a clearance, tax evasion (intentional or not) would be up there.
UPDATE: My top security clearance was successfully adjudicated on July 8th. Unfortunately, this website did not provide helpful or positive guidance. The comments were incorrect and lacked practical utility. For those seeking assistance, I highly recommend maintaining a positive attitude and proactively seeking legal support. I enlisted the services of a law firm after a little research. I did pay 10,000 which a portion was refunded but it was worth the investment. When I approached them, I had already prepared a detailed narrative outlining my situation for many years, which greatly facilitated the process. I wish the best for anyone else going through this challenging process.
We’re not lawyers. Our advice was to be more careful with your taxes. It still stands and we didn’t charge you $10k for it. Glad it worked out for you.
Telling someone the most obvious thing isn’t helpful. It’s condescending and dismissive. It suggests that you assume they are unaware of something that is likely already obvious amidst an already frustrating situation. Most of the comments I see here offer an obvious observation and hinders productive conversation which is why I gladly came back for support. Offering thoughtful advice, asking clarifying questions, or providing different perspectives are more constructive ways to support and assist someone if that’s even the intent. My comment is more for ppl like me who seek insightful advice or experience and not just people’s unproductive opinions.
Out of curiosity, what was your timeline from being notified that your clearance was denied to the day your were notified that clearance was successfully adjudicated and which lawfirm did you use?
I am also curious which advice you found useful and which advice you did not find useful. Thank you
Glad it worked out for you but i don’t see any comments on here that were condescending. Folks no days just want to be pandered and told it will be ok even though it wont all the time. For any readers, do your best to take care of financial issues as early as possible, cause you can be denied as easily as you are granted. It really depends on the adjudicator. Rather be safe then sorry, financial has been the #1 reason for clearance denials for like 15+ years.