Federal Gov. "Letter of Warning"?

[Anonymous]

Started a job several months ago. I am NOT a federal employee but my office is in a building owned by the government so I was subject to an SF85 and background check.

Three years ago I neglected to file my taxes and when gathering my tax info FOR THE BACKGROUND CHECK I noticed this and filed immediately. I sent the adjudicator a copy of my return and the cashier's check for $1,000 I mailed to the IRS.

They just sent me an email saying they made a favorable decision in my background check (which I guess is good because I've been in a government building a couple times a week for months now) but issued a "Letter of Warning" telling me I need to start living within my means or they'll fire me from a government agency I don't even work for. They then said the suitability factor is "dishonest conduct and financial irresponsibility" which seems a bit harsh considering a) I paid them and b) I was honest about this when I filled out the background check. They literally reference the background check where I said "I was checking my tax returns, realized I don't have one for 2022, and immediately filed/paid."

What do I do with this? Tell my manager? She wasn't cc'd on the email so I don't even know that she knows. Anyone have experience with this? Just seems incredibly aggro.

[Anonymous]

Yea, nobody just forgets to pay their taxes. Was 2022 the first year after a divorce or the first year with a job? If not, you did not forget. Sorry. And they know that, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yea, nobody just forgets to pay their taxes. Was 2022 the first year after a divorce or the first year with a job? If not, you did not forget. Sorry. And they know that, too.

I had been laid off right around the time taxes were due, filed an extension, and then forgot about it. I filed every other year!

[Anonymous]

It’s a pretty big deal not to file your taxes. You’re lucky that you passed the background check. The notice is a warning that you are on thin ice and you can’t screw up. It’s not aggressive at all given how serious the violation is.

And I too don’t believe you forgot. Unless you live in a cave, it’s hard to
Imagine missing all of the millions of reminders that we constantly get both at tax time and the extension deadline. Plus your attitude that this is insignificant and the warning was an overreaction shows that you don’t take that responsibility seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a pretty big deal not to file your taxes. You’re lucky that you passed the background check. The notice is a warning that you are on thin ice and you can’t screw up. It’s not aggressive at all given how serious the violation is.

And I too don’t believe you forgot. Unless you live in a cave, it’s hard to
Imagine missing all of the millions of reminders that we constantly get both at tax time and the extension deadline. Plus your attitude that this is insignificant and the warning was an overreaction shows that you don’t take that responsibility seriously.

I feel like this is an overreaction tbh. "Omg you didn't take your responsibility of paying $1,000 seriously!"

She filed and paid before the investigation was even opened. Case closed. Not to mention she's not even a federal employee!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a pretty big deal not to file your taxes. You’re lucky that you passed the background check. The notice is a warning that you are on thin ice and you can’t screw up. It’s not aggressive at all given how serious the violation is.

And I too don’t believe you forgot. Unless you live in a cave, it’s hard to
Imagine missing all of the millions of reminders that we constantly get both at tax time and the extension deadline. Plus your attitude that this is insignificant and the warning was an overreaction shows that you don’t take that responsibility seriously.

Over a late tax return that was already filed and paid? Calm down, Gladys.

I literally work with an IT guy who admitted to doing drugs on his suitability for government employment form and he got his clearance, and is apparently suitable enough to handle government computers. Let's not act like everyone who works for the government is absolutely perfect and this is the first time they've ever seen a late tax return.

[Anonymous]

It's a big deal with the IRS.

You've rectified it (have you fully rectified - there are usually penalities and additional payments), and you've passed the background check.

You don't work for the federal government.

Therefore, I don't think you need to tell your boss. You're meeting the conditions of your current employer - passing background check for building access.

The IRS is seriously understaffed so this probably goes no further (and is probably why you got the letter about employment and being on thin ice - whoever sent it likely sent you the wong letter). But, if you want a higher security clearance or to work for the federal government, you might have a harder time. That might mean you need to keep records for a longer time so you can document what happened, and you'd probably have to answer probing questions about it. It might take a little longer because they'd want to check in other areas and make sure you're not a security risk, that this was truly a one-time error. But you'd probably pass a security clearance or other more intenstive background check, particularly after a few more years pass with nothing else on your tax records.

[Anonymous]

OP, move on and forget about it. That’s it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a pretty big deal not to file your taxes. You’re lucky that you passed the background check. The notice is a warning that you are on thin ice and you can’t screw up. It’s not aggressive at all given how serious the violation is.

And I too don’t believe you forgot. Unless you live in a cave, it’s hard to
Imagine missing all of the millions of reminders that we constantly get both at tax time and the extension deadline. Plus your attitude that this is insignificant and the warning was an overreaction shows that you don’t take that responsibility seriously.

Over a late tax return that was already filed and paid? Calm down, Gladys.

I literally work with an IT guy who admitted to doing drugs on his suitability for government employment form and he got his clearance, and is apparently suitable enough to handle government computers. Let's not act like everyone who works for the government is absolutely perfect and this is the first time they've ever seen a late tax return.

OMG same except he didn't get his clearance at first and now just tells people to lie about drug use on a federal background check form. I wish I were joking. I literally heard him tell someone "Yeah, if there's no paper trail that you did drugs you can just lie."

But yeah, you should be really incensed that someone who just got laid off didn't pay $1,000 for a couple years. F off with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a pretty big deal not to file your taxes. You’re lucky that you passed the background check. The notice is a warning that you are on thin ice and you can’t screw up. It’s not aggressive at all given how serious the violation is.

And I too don’t believe you forgot. Unless you live in a cave, it’s hard to
Imagine missing all of the millions of reminders that we constantly get both at tax time and the extension deadline. Plus your attitude that this is insignificant and the warning was an overreaction shows that you don’t take that responsibility seriously.

Over a late tax return that was already filed and paid? Calm down, Gladys.

I literally work with an IT guy who admitted to doing drugs on his suitability for government employment form and he got his clearance, and is apparently suitable enough to handle government computers. Let's not act like everyone who works for the government is absolutely perfect and this is the first time they've ever seen a late tax return.

So… you’re saying the IT guy did drugs, but still remembered to pay his taxes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, move on and forget about it. That’s it.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Seems overly aggressive to me. I used to file my taxes very late, like up to two years late before i became a fed and didnt have an issue with my background check. Admittedly they owed me money rather than me owing them but still, not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a big deal with the IRS.

You've rectified it (have you fully rectified - there are usually penalities and additional payments), and you've passed the background check.

You don't work for the federal government.

Therefore, I don't think you need to tell your boss. You're meeting the conditions of your current employer - passing background check for building access.

The IRS is seriously understaffed so this probably goes no further (and is probably why you got the letter about employment and being on thin ice - whoever sent it likely sent you the wong letter). But, if you want a higher security clearance or to work for the federal government, you might have a harder time. That might mean you need to keep records for a longer time so you can document what happened, and you'd probably have to answer probing questions about it. It might take a little longer because they'd want to check in other areas and make sure you're not a security risk, that this was truly a one-time error. But you'd probably pass a security clearance or other more intenstive background check, particularly after a few more years pass with nothing else on your tax records.

Not a government employee but do personnel things like this not get sent to the boss separately? I guess maybe when dealing with people's finances and other sensitive info it's different but in private sector, HR notices like that are cc'd to boss.

[Anonymous]

It's not what DCUM think, it's what the government/IRS thinks. They take it seriously.

Imagine what happens if they didn't approve your background check. How much hassles you have to go through for your job.

Don't FAFO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yea, nobody just forgets to pay their taxes. Was 2022 the first year after a divorce or the first year with a job? If not, you did not forget. Sorry. And they know that, too.

I had been laid off right around the time taxes were due, filed an extension, and then forgot about it. I filed every other year!

Well, irresponsibility isn't much of a reach.