Okay to be Under-Withheld Each Year?

[TaxQuestions1138]

Hypothetical example:  A married couple files jointly, both make the same amount of income, and their total tax liability for the year will be $20,000.  One spouse is a W-2 employee and has $10,000 withheld for the year.  The other spouse is self-employed, and doesn't make any estimated payments during the year.  Thus, at year end, the couple is underpaid on their total tax liability by $10,000.  They subsequently pay the full $10,000 of taxes they owe by April 15, plus the full penalty of around $300-$400.  All is well, and the tax man has been paid everything he's owed.  However, the couple continues to underpay and incur a penalty every year in this fashion, and always pays all of its tax plus whatever the underpayment penalty is each year by April 15.

Question: Other than the underpayment penalty, will the couple suffer any other negative consequence from being consistently underpaid year after year?  Stated differently, will the IRS just happily collect the couple's tax with a penalty each year and otherwise leave them alone, or will there be some other action taken against the couple for being underpaid on taxes at the end of each year?

[ZTaxPro · Accepted solution]

No the penalty is the only consequence each year for not making estimated payments.