Maureen, a calendar year individual taxpayer, files her 2018 return on November 4, 2020. She did not obtain an extension for filing her return, and the return reflects additional income tax due of $15,000.
a. What are Maureen’s penalties for failure to file and to pay?
b. Would your answer to part (a) change if Maureen, before the due date of the return, had retained a CPA to prepare the return and it was the CPA’s negligence that caused the delay? Explain.