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 14 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 14 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


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

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