Late Tax Filing FAQ

Can I find out which year I did not file? To determine which year you did not file, you must contact the IRS and request your tax returns for the last seven years. Copies of forms 1040, 1040a,...
How many years back should I check for tax returns I missed filing? The IRS has ten years to prosecute a tax delinquency. So you should file any tax return you missed within the past ten years.
Are late taxes the same as back taxes? Not exactly. Late or prior taxes refer to any tax return that was not filed by its original due date. Back taxes refer specifically to tax owed, toget...
Can I still get a federal tax refund if I file late? Yes, you can get a refund for three years following a tax return’s original due date. So, for example, the last opportunity to claim a refund from you...
Can I get a refund for prior year state taxes? Yes, in most cases you can. However, rules vary by state. You should check with your state tax authority to see how many years back you can still get ...
Can I wait another year to file my late taxes? Sure, but given that the IRS only pays out refunds for three years you may lose out on money you are eligible for.
Can I get my late year tax refund direct deposited to my bank account? No, the IRS does not allow past year tax refunds to be direct deposited. You will have to wait for a paper check to come through the mail.
If I received a refund from the IRS, can I expect a refund from my state also? If you receive a refund from the IRS on your federal tax return, you can most likely expect a refund on your state return as well, though this is by n...
Will I have to pay a penalty for filing late? You only have to pay penalties for filing late if you owe taxes. If you are due a refund you won’t have to pay any penalties at all.
What kinds of penalties are there? If you owe the IRS taxes, you will have to pay a failure-to-file penalty, a failure-to-pay penalty, and interest on the amount owed. All three are ass...
Should I still file taxes from a prior year if I owe? Yes, absolutely. Every day that your prior year return goes unfiled and your taxes remain unpaid, penalties and interest accrue on your tax debt. The ...
What if I cannot pay all of my prior year taxes? Remember that the failure-to-file penalty is much larger than the failure-to-pay penalty, so it makes sense to file even if can’t pay. Priortax enable...