It’s Been A Few Years Since I Filed A Tax Return Should I Start Filing Again?

The FTB also requires you to file if you meet certain income levels. If you don’t file a return by the tax day of the year it’s due (typically in mid-April), you’ll be subject to a late-filing penalty. On top of that, any taxes you owe after the filing deadline passes will begin to amass fees in the form of penalties and interest. The IRS will usually inform you that you’re in delinquency by sending notices and bills to the address on file for you. If those bills are ignored, the agency will ramp up the collection process by assessing a tax lien and eventually a tax levy.

The IRS doesn’t have that information, so those deductions are left off entirely. In February 2020, the IRS announced that it was going to start paying in-person visits to people who hadn’t filed their tax returns. https://www.bookstime.com/ The agency also renewed its focus on automating SFRs and taking other action against non-filers. Ultimately, you probably won’t go to jail for not filing, but you can face other severe consequences for not filing.

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If you want to learn more about our tax relief services, contact us at BC Tax today for a no-obligation consultation. If you are facing tax debt and enforced tax collection, turn to BC Tax for help. We offer tax relief and tax resolution services to businesses and individuals in Colorado and across the country.

If you’re self-employed and never filed, you are going to face more paperwork than the average taxpayer. This can be daunting, especially if you’re self-employed and never filed taxes before. If you’re worried that you may have committed fraud, evasion, or another tax crime, you should contact a tax attorney. They can answer your questions and help you identify the best path for dealing with your unfiled returns. Even if you’re not worried about tax crimes, you may still want to have a tax professional help you. They can help you deal with your unfiled returns and get back into good standing with the IRS.

What happens if you don’t pay your back taxes?

The IRS statute of limitations is the amount of time the IRS has to take a certain action. In general, a statute of limitations is a law (statute) that limits how far back you can go when assessing a penalty, charging someone with a crime, or taking other actions. There are different statutes of limitations for different types of tax issues. For example, banks will report interest income earned by taxpayers to the IRS.

Once you have the information you need, make sure that you select the tax returns from the correct years. The IRS updates its tax forms annually so you can’t use the current year’s return to file for a previous year. Additionally, you and your tax professional how many years back taxes can i file may be able to request a stay on enforced tax collection activity. Your tax professional can then follow up with the IRS to ensure the return is accepted. To receive the highest-quality tax-related services, consider working with an enrolled tax agent.

Hire a tax professional

Are you behind filing tax returns and wondering how far you need to go back to get caught up? If so, you’re not alone—many people find themselves in that situation each year. Mail your back tax returns to the IRS in separate envelopes and send them by certified mail so that you have proof that the IRS received each individual tax return. Mailing them in separate envelopes will also help prevent the IRS from making any clerical errors in processing them. The best way to avoid paying back taxes is filing your annual tax return during tax season. Take time to review your overall tax situation to come up with strategies for reducing your tax bill and achieving your financial goals.

If the IRS has questions or needs additional information, they’ll contact you by mail. LegalZoom provides access to independent attorneys and self-service tools. Use of our products and services are governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The consequences of not filing vary depending on your unique situation. Taxes are complicated, and if you get behind on paying them, things can quickly get messy. Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us.

Once you have all the information you need to file your returns, you can download the forms from IRS.gov or use DIY tax filing software. The IRS can also hold refund checks when two subsequent returns are missing. For example, if you file your 2022 return in 2025 but haven’t yet filed returns for 2023 or 2024, the IRS may hold your refund in case you owe tax for those unfiled years. It involves reaching an agreement with the IRS to pay less than your full balance due.

There is also no statute of limitations for the IRS to collect back taxes if your return is part of a case that involves civil or criminal fraud. Remember, you can file back taxes with the IRS at any time, but if you want to claim a refund for one of those years, you should file within three years. If you want to stay in good standing with the IRS, you should file back taxes within six years. It takes about six weeks for the IRS to process accurately completed back tax returns. Paying any tax due on each completed return is relatively simple.

As a result, SFRs generally lead to a much higher tax liability than you would owe if you filed a correct return. Once a tax has been assessed against you, the IRS has 10 years to collect it. After this time, the agency can no longer enforce collections against you. This happens when you file a return or the IRS assesses tax in an audit. However, if you don’t file your return, the IRS can file a substitute for return (SFR) on your behalf, and this counts as a tax assessment. Having old, unfiled tax returns may lead you to believe that the state tax agency or the IRS has forgotten about you and you are off the hook.