lcmcpa
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Gather your records and start filing, year by year. Be aware that once you start filing the IRS will be nipping at your *** to make sure you get the rest of the returns filed. For this reason, you might consider having them all done or almost done before you send the first one in. Good luck. If you owe money and haven't paid in, there will be consequences i.e. penalties and interest. |
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bostonianinmo
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The short answer is to file the missing returns.
If your income was from wages subject to withholding and the IRS has not been in touch yet they've almost certainly already looked at your tax situation and decided that you don't owe any money. Truth is, you probably had refunds coming from the missing years; most folks do.
Refunds must be claimed within 3 years of the filing deadline for the tax year in question. So if you have refunds coming from 2004 and later you can still file those returns and get your money. The deadline for 2004 refunds is April 15, 2008. Any refunds from 2003 and earlier are lost forever.
You can get the forms and instructions from the IRS website and file the missing returns yourself. You'll have to mail them in; it's too late to e-file for any past tax years now.
You could take this to a tax preparer but if your only income is from wages subject to withholding it's really an unnecessary expense. If it makes you feel more comfortable, go for it. But it really isn't necessary.
If you had cash income from those years that wasn't reported by anyone, THEN you should retain a CPA or EA who specializes in individual income taxes as you will have some significant issues and costs to deal with.
The IRS is more interested in collecting what's due, not sending you to prison. Prisoners don't earn income and can't pay back taxes while behind bars so they have a vested interest in working with you, up to a point at least. And if you come to them first, any criminal prosecution is really a non issue. The tax bill, however, is another story entirely. |
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kevin b
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From the IRS website:
A long-standing practice of the IRS has been not to recommend criminal prosecution of individuals for failure to file tax returns, provided they voluntarily file, or make arrangements to file, before being notified they are under criminal investigation. The taxpayer must make an honest effort to file a correct return and have income from legal sources. A letter from the IRS concerning taxes is not a notice that a taxpayer is under criminal investigation.
The IRS helps to get people back into the system as part of its long-term plan to improve voluntary tax compliance. The IRS wants to get people back into the system, not prosecute ordinary people who made a mistake. However, flagrant cases involving criminal violations |
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Samantha
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You are going to need professional help with this one. An accountant may be able to help. If not, you might try a tax attorney. |
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John x
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See an acountant |
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MoB
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I am a professional tax preparer so let me give you some free advise before tax season actually starts. First this is not an uncommon situation, so don't feel bad. I agree that you should go to a qualified tax professional for a couple of reasons. They can contact the IRS and get all the years income statements (income that that has been reported to the IRS that they expect you to report on your return) for however many years you haven't filed. The IRS will expedite this for them. Then they start with the oldest year and prepare that return, then the next and so on and so on. If you had any refunds due prior to 2003 you have already forfeited those. (The IRS will only refund back three years) If you owe, then there will be a penalty for late filing and interest that has accrued from April 15th of that particular year until the time you actually file. But for years after 2003, if you are entitled to any refund, then it would be applied first to any taxes due prior to 2003 and then to any taxes owed from 2007 and back . If by chance you end up owing a lot, they can help you work out with the IRS a monthly payment plan or you can pay them by credit card. But you have to be caught up on filing all of your returns first. It's okay, the sky is not going to fall down, and the ground is not going to open up. Just go to a qualified accountant and they will straighten it out for you. But please go soon, as they can get started on the old returns before the rush really starts coming in. Note: Most accountants will require a small deposit for each year that you are back filing. |
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Sailon
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Can u spell a c c o u n t a n t ? |
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Aramis
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invest in an accountant |
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Judy1
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Gather up any info you have, make a list of what else you can remember like employers and timeframes, and see a CPA that does tax work.
If your income was from jobs where you got W-2's, you probably arent in any trouble except that you have probably forfeited some refunds - if you owed, the IRS would have contacted you by now. If you were self-employed, then you could owe quite a bit by now. |
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Oscar L
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You're not the only one. Plenty of people live like you. and for this reason the tax code has a section that specifies the procedure to regularize your situation.
Obviously you're gonna have to pay a penalty and you'll be given several years to pay for everything back but don't flee because they won't forget you even if you don't cross any border for the next 10 years. You don't want to stay 20 years away from home do you?
So the best way to take care of your problem is to go straight to your tax office or to call them and to tell them exactly your situation. |
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Beach Saint
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Hire a good accountant. Most good accountants have their own account representative at the IRS and state tax agencies. They can help negotiate a settlement for you. Call as soon as possible as most good firms get very busy in February and March. |
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ruth s
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Try the IRS Tax Advocate Service. They're actually pretty good and may be able to help you.
If you owe the IRS monies from all those past years, you will not only need an Advocate, but a tax attorney.
Good Luck!!! |
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Ms. Angel..
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Visit your local IRS office and request the wage information (w2/1099) for the years you have not filed, you might want to call and make an appointment, or call IRS TAX LAW for the w2/1099 information to be sent to you. Visit IRS website: www.irs.gov for the tax return forms (go to forms then previous years) and download the forms and instruction, or call 1-800-829-3676 for forms to be sent to you with instructions.
Contacting IRS will let IRS know you are working on taking care of your deliquent tax return obligation.
Take care of it now. You will not get refund for 2003 and prior, and if you don't file the 2004 before 04/15/2008 you will lose the refund also. |
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wartz
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As a matter of policy enshrined in the IRS manual, they will not solicit more than six years worth of delinquent returns unless there is fraud. Negligence is not fraud.
Call IRS at 800-829-1040 and it can provide you an information returns transcript with all the W-2's and 1099's you have received for the last six years.
If you have a refund due, the return must be filed within three years of the original due date or the statute of limitations for claiming the refund expires. For now, this means returns for 2004 and later.
Similarly, if you have self-employment income, it must be reported within three years of the original due date or the statute of limitations for having your Social Security account credited expires but you will still owe the self-employment tax.
I suspect that if you owe anything, the amount will be low or IRS would have been in contact with you before now. |
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Ariel
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You're going to need a lawyer. Remember, everything you tell a lawyer is confidential but anything you tell an accountant or certified tax preparer is NOT confidential. You absolutely will need help on this or the IRS will destroy you with fines. Trust me on this one, you do NOT want them after you. I have a friend whose husband ran out on her. He hadn't paid income taxes for years so they held her accountable. She is among the working poor but still they took garnished her pay. She was destitute for years and dependant on help of family and friends. |
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Christine
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Look in the yellow pages under attorneys. Then look for tax attorneys.
Many of these individuals provide an initial free consultation.
You can also look at www.martindale.com and find attorneys there. Before you retain any attorney check their credibility and if there have been any complaints filed against them.
Check out your local state bar (not the kind you drink alcohol at) too. |
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D-Dub
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Call the irs. They can send you copies of your w2's for Ithink up to the last three years. You can file them on taxact.com yourself. If you are owed a refuhnd you wont get it. If you know you had no tax liability theres no need to do anything. |
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cdabexx
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Defect to Cuba. |
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rock n roll chick
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Probably move to Canada-quickly! |
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Lord Flasheart!
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burn down the house, and run cackling madly down the street.
then blame George Bush. |
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Jan C
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I suggest you locate the nearest IRS office and go in. Talk to someone there and explain that you would like to correct some things and get yourself straightened out. I feel you will be glad that you did this. |
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