Back taxes and unfiled returns
However many years it has been, filing voluntarily produces a better outcome than waiting to be found. We have not yet met a situation that could not be resolved.
You are in the right place if…
One or two missed years
Life happened, and then it was easier not to look.
Many years unfiled
Long enough that you no longer know where the documents are.
A substitute return was filed for you
The IRS filed on your behalf, and it will not have been generous.
Everything in the fee
- IRS transcript retrieval8821
- Return preparation for any prior year1040
- Replacement of IRS substitute returnsSFR
- Penalty abatement requests843
- Instalment agreements9465
- Currently-not-collectible requestsCollections
- Refund recovery where still available1040
- State back filingState
You may be owed money
Not every unfiled year is a liability. People who had tax withheld and never filed are frequently owed refunds — but the window to claim a refund closes, and once it has, the money is gone permanently even though any tax owed remains collectible indefinitely. That asymmetry is the strongest argument for dealing with it now.
Missing documents are not a barrier
Almost everyone assumes they cannot file because they no longer have their W-2s and 1099s. The IRS holds wage and income transcripts showing what was reported about you, and we can pull them on your behalf once you sign an authorisation. Bank statements fill most of the remaining gaps.
If the IRS already filed for you
When someone does not file, the IRS may prepare a substitute return using only the income reported about them — no deductions, no credits, no dependants, and filing status set to whichever is least favourable. The resulting bill is almost always far higher than the real liability. Filing a proper return replaces it.
Before you panic
Penalties can often be reduced, liabilities can be paid over time, and in some circumstances collection can be paused entirely. The outcome is usually much better than the one people have been imagining while avoiding it.