Missing one year of tax returns is easy. Missing several can feel impossible to fix, especially when you're worried about what the IRS will do once you file. Our Enrolled Agents and CPAs help people with years of unfiled taxes get back into compliance quietly and correctly, with a plan for any balance owed.
Ignoring unfiled returns rarely makes the problem go away. Here is what usually happens:
Free, confidential consultation. We talk through which years are missing and what letters you've received.
We pull your IRS records. With your authorization, we request your wage and income transcripts.
We reconstruct missing records. Lost W-2s, 1099s or business records are rebuilt from transcripts and bank statements.
We prepare and file your back tax returns, each under that year's tax rules.
We resolve what's left. If you owe, we set up the right solution. If refunds are still available, we claim them.
You usually don't need to file every missing year going back decades. In most cases, the IRS expects the last six years to be filed for you to be in good standing. Your situation may differ, so we review your transcripts and notices before recommending which years to file.
Our back tax return preparation covers personal returns, self-employed Schedule C income, and business returns for LLCs, partnerships and corporations. If your business books are behind, we can clean up and catch up your bookkeeping first.
If the IRS has already filed a substitute for return, filing your own original return can usually replace it and bring the balance down to what you actually owe. The sooner this is done, the fewer collection steps the IRS will have taken.
Filing is step one. If your returns show a balance you can't pay in full, we help with the next step:
Criminal cases are rare and usually involve deliberate fraud. For most people, filing voluntarily before the IRS contacts them is the best way to limit risk. If you're worried, talk to us before you file.
Yes. We request your wage and income transcripts from the IRS, which list most income reported under your Social Security number.
It depends on how many years are missing and how complete your records are. Many clients are fully filed within a few weeks of sending their documents.
File anyway. The IRS has several options for people who can't pay in full, and we help you choose the right one.
Generally only for the last three years. Older refunds are usually lost, which is one more reason not to wait.