<p>So, I am a rising senior planning to apply to many different colleges (HYP etc etc.)</p>
<p>In my Sophomore year, I started working at a Mall jewelry shop. I come from a pretty poor family, so I thought I could use this money to help my family. So, I worked about
20 hours per week in the school year and 40 hours per week during the summer. </p>
<p>However, the problem is that the job paid me cash. Thus, I did not file taxes for it and there is no evidence I can show that I worked there. The employer shut the business down last year and moved to California so I cannot put down a contact number either.</p>
<p>So the question is: can I still put the job on my college application? </p>
<p>Will it get me in trouble with the IRS?
Will I have enormous problems when filing the FAFSA as I am from a poor family?
Did all the working just mean nothing in terms of college admissions?</p>
<p>The job was one my main activities that year and if I cannot put it on my resume will I be at a huge loss?</p>
<p>I had a job my sophomore year summer working as an office assistant for my doctor. Paid me with a straight check that I cashed and put the money in a bank account. No taxes, nothing. I’m listing it on my common app resume. I mean, it is a “paid job,” so I figured it counted.</p>
<p>The colleges won’t share your info with IRS – they are congnizant of the realities out there but they want the unvarnished truth. I’d state clearly that you did work and even, the urgency to do so.</p>
<p>Have you actually looked at the common application? It doesn’t ask for specifics about your summer jobs or for contact information about your employer. If a schools asks for it, just explain the circumstances to them.</p>
<p>I was 15 years old at that time and I dont think I even had a work-permit.</p>
<p>I have looked at the commonapp and see that it doesnt ask for specifics. But, will I have trouble with FAFSA or financial aid at any of the colleges??? </p>
<p>Is it a good idea to call a college and just ask about this (annonymously)?</p>
<p>“The employer shut the business down last year and moved to California”</p>
<p>When you complete the FAFSA in January 2010, it will include income information for your family for 2009. For FAFSA purposes, you only need to report income in 2009. If the business folded in 2008, you are completely in the clear. You can safely put it on your resume. If the business folded in 2009, and you have some kind of record of your income for 2009, you can file a tax return for yourself reporting “self-employment income”. Visit [Internal</a> Revenue Service](<a href=“http://www.irs.gov%5DInternal”>http://www.irs.gov) for more information on how to do that.</p>
<p>I’m going to be in the minority here so go ahead and flame away.</p>
<p>OP, paraphrased:</p>
<p>I cheated the government and now I realize that as a direct result of cheating the government, I won’t be able to make my applications look as good as I might like. Mind you, this is all excusable because I come from a poor family and my intentions were all honorable, well, other than paying my taxes. I mean, all told, the government is only out about $1,500 in social security taxes between my and my employer’s contribution so it’s no big deal. And let’s face it, even though my state is probably running a deficit, the state taxes I owed wouldn’t solve that problem. Oh, by the way, I really need financial aid from that same government that I ripped off a couple of years ago. Now I don’t want to get in trouble so someone here tell me how to keep feeding at the trough without paying my fair share.</p>
<hr>
<p>You made choices that seemed expedient at the time and now you don’t want to live with the minor consequence of that choice. It infuriates me that some of my tax dollars will go toward paying for your education while people who pay their fair share will have to delay their own educations because you will get aid while they won’t.</p>
<p>Anyway, the answer to your question is, sure, put it on your resume. The IRS doesn’t have the resources to chase down $1,000 tax dodgers. Of course, when you get all that financial aid and find another off the books job, maybe you’ll have an attack of contrition and send a check to the Treasury. I’ll hold my breath.</p>
<p>So…i will be safe in putting that down right. What if they try to make sure i worked there? I have no proof as the employer moved to California. </p>
<p>speihei- i understand ur anger. However, please try to understand that I was offered the job, without knowing it was cash money. Then I found out, but if I would have left the job, I would be left jobless. My parents couldnt pay their mortgage that month and I felt this was the right thing to do. Mind you, I quit that job and got another job as soon as I found it. So please…stop wasting ur time moaning and groaning about me and go look at the other who cheat millions of dollars.</p>
<p>And please dont assume i will do that again because i probably wont unless i am homeless and cannot find a job. </p>
<p>Anyways, can i please get some good advice? </p>
<p>Should i just call an admissions officer at a college and ask?</p>
<p>If you want to list the job, go ahead and do it. It is unlikely that you will have to produce a formal reference. If you do, a note from a co-worker would suffice.</p>
<p>If at some point in the future you want to pay the taxes for this stint of self-employment, you can do so. You would file a “late return”, or an “amended return” for the tax year(s) in question. Depending on the amount of money you actually earned, you may not owe one cent in state or federal taxes. You probably would owe some Social Security/Medicare/Unemployment/Workman’s Compensation tax money. This is the part that shows up on a normal paycheck as “F.I.C.A.” </p>
<p>Why is it that every cheater fancies himself Jean Valjean?</p>
<p>Anyway:</p>
<p>Paki - I gave you the advice you were looking for: put it on your application; you won’t get caught.</p>
<p>keylyme - Let’s all get off the pedestals together. Why aspire to a high ethical standard anyway? In fact, let’s eliminate all pedestals, all ethics, and just slip into anarchy today.</p>
<p>Pro28 - Living with consequences is part of the learning process. My problem is the OP’s unwillingness to live with those consequences. I guess that wasn’t clear. This is a “how can I get away with this” post and that bugs me whether it’s this particular problem or the problem of an academic cheater figuring out how to get that dishonesty off his permanent record.</p>
<p>And by the way, as happymom correctly observes, OP can fix this problem today in which case there is zero chance of it becoming an issue on the application. Even if OP has no money, filing the return and working out an installment plan reduces the chances of adverse consequences to zero.</p>
<p>Speihei, I don’t think I even knew what taxes really were when I was 15, never mind the long-term consequences of working and payment. Are you going to throw a tantrum over every babysitter in the country, too? You need to realize you are speaking from an incredibly privileged position, and beyond that are blowing things <em>way</em> out of proportion. They’re still just kids, man.</p>
<p>to be honest, i had no idea what the importance of taxes or anything was. It was a way to make money and help my family…now the final consenus seems to be that I should write it down on my college app?</p>
<p>should i de-exaggerate it and make my hours shorter so there wont be any suspicion???</p>