Yes, you still have to pay taxes even if you don’t have a bank account

Blac Chyna, the former fiancé of reality TV star Rob Kardashian, is suing the Kardashian family for more than $140 million, claiming they ruined her career and caused lost wages.

Chyna alleges Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner spread false reports of her assaulting Rob Kardashian in order to have her “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” spinoff “Rob & Chyna” canceled.

During the ongoing court case, Chyna admitted to not paying taxes since 2015. The model, who says she made $2 million last year, also says she doesn’t have a bank account.

People on social media are wondering if Chyna admitted to not paying taxes because she doesn’t have a bank account.

THE QUESTION

Do you still have to pay taxes if you don’t have a bank account?

THE SOURCES

• IRS
• Mark Steber, Chief Tax Information Officer at Jackson Hewitt 
• TurboTax

THE ANSWER

Yes, you still have to pay taxes even if you don’t have a bank account.

WHAT WE FOUND

“Unfortunately, just because someone doesn’t have a bank account doesn’t mean they get away with not filing their federal and state income taxes or paying taxes they may owe on earnings they have,” Mark Steber, the chief tax information officer at Jackson Hewitt, told VERIFY. 

“There have been several high-profile celebrities and other taxpayers over the years who have not paid their taxes and faced serious repercussions from the IRS. Consequences for failing to pay income taxes generally correspond to the size of the violation as well as the intent. For taxpayers who don’t pay or just make a mistake and even a big mistake, that generally results in penalties and interest in addition to paying the taxes owed,” Steber said.

All employers must file a W-2 form for workers making more than $600, and the employer is required to send that information to the IRS. That means the IRS will expect to receive a tax return that matches that W-2. 

Business transactions paid in cash – even paid transactions made via an app like Venmo, PayPal and Cash App – totaling over $600 also have to be reported to the IRS. 

There are reportedly millions of Americans who don’t have a bank account – and most still file their taxes annually. According to TurboTax, there are ways to pay taxes or accept refunds  without a bank account. 

To get a tax refund without a bank account: 

• It can be deposited to an existing prepaid card
• You can opt for a paper check

If you owe taxes, the IRS accepts money orders and credit cards to pay taxes due. 

Details on filing a federal income tax return, including reporting income and claiming deductions and credits, can be found in the instructions to Form 1040, available at IRS.gov/Form1040. 

You can also find a rundown of common types of income, and whether they are taxable or nontaxable, in IRS Publication 525, available at IRS.gov/Pub525.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.