i have not filed my taxes for 3 years. is it too late to catch up?
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i have not filed my taxes for 3 years. is it too late to catch up?
i have failed to file my personal taxes for 3 years. For no reason, i have nothing to hide and still have the papers needed to file for each year. I need to know how I need to go about straitening this out.
Asked on May 24, 2009 under Business Law, Idaho
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 15 years ago | Contributor
Just go ahead and file. You'll have penalties but get your returns in; any penalties for late filing will stop at that point. You will obviously also have to pay the taxes that you owe plus any interest.
If you end up owing more than you can pay at once you can try to arrange an installment agreement. The IRS is pretty liberal in allowing them.
Whatever you do, get those returns filed.
B. B., Member, New Jersey Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 15 years ago | Contributor
Start out by filing the returns, as soon as you can, and pay as much of the taxes due (if any) as you can. The IRS will be in touch, about the rest, and by filing voluntarily, you won't run any risk of being seen as a tax evader. You will have to pay interest and penalties, but you should be able to arrange a payment plan, if you need it.
You might want to talk to a CPA or a tax attorney. One place to look for a lawyer is our website, http://attorneypages.com
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