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Where to start with 10 years of unfiled back taxes for a self-employed massage therapist?
I'm trying to help my cousin get his financial life back on track. He's been a self-employed massage therapist since 2018 and hasn't filed any tax returns for almost a decade. I'm completely overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. Should we start with the 2018 tax year and work forward chronologically? Or is it better to start with 2022 and work backwards? I'm also wondering if we should submit all the missing years at once or space them out every few months. The biggest challenge is that his record-keeping has been terrible for the first several years. He basically has no documentation for business expenses or income for 2018-2020. Can we make reasonable estimates for those years without triggering IRS problems? I've never dealt with this kind of tax situation before, and I want to help him without making things worse. Any advice on approaching these back taxes would be so appreciated!
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Federal Income Tax Missing from Michigan Paycheck - W4 Problem?
Hey everyone, I'm pretty new to the whole adulting thing with my first real job in Michigan. I noticed something weird on my last few paychecks - they're taking out social security, medicare, and Michigan state income tax, but there's NOTHING being taken out for federal income tax. I did some googling and found stuff about claiming 0 or 1 on my W4 form, but honestly I have no clue what I put when I filled out my paperwork. I was in a hurry that day and probably just checked whatever boxes looked right. If this keeps happening and no federal tax comes out of my checks, am I going to get slammed with a huge tax bill when I file next year? Do I need to fix this ASAP? Any help would be super appreciated!
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Something similar happened to me in my first job. You should also check if you're classified as an independent contractor (1099) rather than an employee (W-2). If you're a 1099, they won't withhold ANY taxes and you're responsible for paying quarterly estimated taxes yourself. Your pay stub will give you clues - if you don't see any tax withholdings at all (not even Social Security and Medicare), you might be misclassified.
Thanks, but they are definitely taking out Social Security and Medicare, plus state tax for Michigan. It's just the federal income tax that's missing. I think I must have messed up my W4 somehow. Going to talk to HR tomorrow!
That's good then! Definitely just a W4 issue. When you talk to HR, ask them to calculate how much federal tax you should have paid year-to-date so you can plan ahead for what you'll owe. Also ask about updating your W4 to include extra withholding on Line 4(c) to make up some of the difference over your remaining paychecks.
Don't panic too much! I had the same issue my first year working (also in Michigan). I fixed my W4 halfway through the year and had them take out extra each check to catch up. If your income isn't super high, you might only owe a few hundred dollars at tax time, not thousands. If you're making under $30K as a single person, your tax liability is fairly low because of the standard deduction.
This is misleading advice. Even at lower income levels, federal tax can be significant. Standard deduction for 2025 is projected around $13,850 for single filers, but if OP is making even $35K, they'd still owe about $2,300 in federal tax. That's not a small amount to come up with all at once!
What happens if I didn't file my 2021 taxes yet?
I really need some advice here. I completely forgot to file my 2021 taxes and now I'm freaking out about what's going to happen to me. During 2021, I worked a bunch of different part-time jobs while I was trying to figure out my life, and I think I made around $19,000 total for that year. I still have all my W-2s and tax documents packed away somewhere, but I just never got around to actually filing. What kind of penalties am I looking at? Will the IRS come after me? Should I just file now or wait until they contact me? I've filed every other year without issues, but 2021 was just chaotic for me. Any insight on what I should expect would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance!
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Quick question - does anyone know if not filing 2021 taxes will affect my 2024 tax filing that I'm about to do? Will the IRS system flag me when I try to file this year's taxes?
Filing your 2024 taxes shouldn't be directly affected by your unfiled 2021 return. Each tax year is technically treated separately. The IRS system won't automatically block you from e-filing your 2024 return just because 2021 is missing. However, there can be indirect effects. If you're claiming certain credits or deductions in 2024 that relate to prior year information, there could be verification issues. Additionally, if the IRS has already started sending you notices about your unfiled 2021 return, it's best to address that situation promptly rather than filing a new year while ignoring the past issue.
Anyone else notice that the IRS seems WAY more aggressive about unfiled returns lately? My brother got a scary letter about his unfiled 2020 return even though they actually owed him a refund. Seems like they're doing a big push to get everyone caught up.
Yeah the IRS got a funding boost recently and they've been upgrading their systems to better track unfiled returns. They're definitely sending more notices out. But I've heard they're still prioritizing high-income non-filers over people who made under $25k. They go where the money is!
How to handle a tax audit after falsifying deductions - what to expect and next steps
I really messed up and I'm freaking out about being audited. I'm in my early 30s and have been working as an independent contractor in the entertainment industry since my mid-20s. The IRS is auditing my 2018 tax return where I reported my full income (around $165k) but claimed about $70k in business deductions that I basically made up because I couldn't afford to pay the full tax bill. I've been doing this since 2016 - just using TurboTax and inventing deductions when it asked questions. This was my first real job and I had no clue what I was doing. I never set aside money for taxes and just panicked every April. I know it was illegal and I'm not making excuses - I was irresponsible and now I'm facing the consequences. I just received notice that I'm being audited and they're asking for documentation for several expense categories that I can't provide because, well, they weren't real. I'm supposed to call the IRS auditor next week but I'm completely terrified about going to jail. I've been reading online and think I need a criminal tax attorney - I've found a few that specialize in tax fraud cases and plan to call them Monday. I've never been in legal trouble before and I'm terrified I've completely ruined my life. At this point, I just want to come clean, pay what I owe, and do whatever it takes to avoid jail time. I'm emotionally all over the place and can barely eat or sleep. My main questions: Should I just admit everything to the IRS? Will they work with me if I'm honest about what happened? What's the likelihood of jail time? What's my best approach going forward? I plan to hire an attorney before talking to the auditor, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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One thing I haven't seen mentioned here - you should also get your financial situation in order ASAP. You'll likely end up on a payment plan with the IRS, and they'll want to see your current finances. Start gathering bank statements, credit card statements, loan documents, etc. Figure out your current income, expenses, assets, and debts. The IRS will use this information to determine what you can reasonably pay each month. Also, if you have any ability to start setting aside money now for the eventual tax bill, do it. Even if it's not enough to cover everything, showing good faith by having some payment ready can sometimes help negotiations. Depending on your situation, you might want to look into tax relief options like an Offer in Compromise, but your attorney will guide you on that.
Is there a specific form the IRS uses to collect this financial information? I'm dealing with a different tax issue but also need to show my financial situation.
Yes, the IRS typically uses Form 433-A for individuals or 433-B for businesses to collect financial information when setting up payment plans or considering settlements. It's extremely detailed - asks about all income sources, expenses, assets, and liabilities. They may also request supporting documentation like bank statements and pay stubs. I recommend starting to compile this information early because it can take time to gather everything. Also, be completely honest on these forms - the IRS can verify much of this information, and additional dishonesty at this stage would only make your situation worse.
PLEASE don't admit to fraud directly!!! I made this exact mistake and it turned a simple audit into a criminal investigation. Let your attorney do the talking. The language you use matters enormously. There's a huge difference between "I can't find documentation for these deductions" and "I made up these deductions." One is a documentation problem, the other is admission of a crime. Your attorney will know how to navigate this, but whatever you do, don't contact the auditor before speaking with an attorney, and don't volunteer information about intent. Let the attorney handle all communications - that's literally what you're paying them for.
This is the best advice here. The distinction between poor documentation and intentional fraud is HUGE in the eyes of the IRS and the law. Let your attorney frame the situation appropriately.
Thank you so much for this warning. I definitely would have just blurted everything out in panic if I hadn't read this. I'll make sure to let the attorney handle all communication and not volunteer anything about what I was thinking or intending. I've contacted a tax attorney who specializes in these cases and have an appointment tomorrow morning. I'm going to bring copies of all the audit letters and my previous tax returns. Should I prepare anything else for this first meeting?
How long do IRS audits typically take to complete?
I e-filed my 2024 taxes back in mid-January (wanted to get ahead of the game this year). About three weeks later, I got this notice from the IRS saying I'm being audited and need to provide documentation for my head of household status and proving my dependents. I sent all the required paperwork right away in February - birth certificates, school records, medical bills showing I paid for my kids, etc. Just got another letter in April saying they received my documents but that I might not hear anything until August 15th! Seriously?! Six months from when I filed? That seems ridiculous for something as simple as verifying my kids live with me. Has anyone been through this before? Is this normal for how long audits take? I was counting on that refund money for some home repairs. Really frustrated with this whole process right now.
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My audit for claiming my niece as a dependent took almost 9 months to resolve last year. The IRS is seriously understaffed and overwhelmed. My advice is to keep checking your transcript on the IRS website - sometimes it updates there before you get any official notice. And whatever you do, keep copies of EVERYTHING you send them.
How do you check your transcript? Is that something on the IRS website?
Yes, you can access your tax transcripts through the IRS website by creating an account at irs.gov/account. Once logged in, you can request various transcript types - the "account transcript" is most useful for tracking audit status as it shows all activity on your account. If you're not tech savvy or have trouble with the online verification, you can also request transcripts by mail using Form 4506-T, but obviously that takes longer to receive.
My sister went through an audit for the same thing and had her case resolved in about 4 months, which was faster than they initially told her. The key is calling the examiner directly if you have their contact info on any of the notices. Don't just sit and wait! Sometimes files get stuck at the bottom of someone's pile.
I tried calling the number on my audit letter but keep getting voicemail. Is it worth leaving messages or is there a better time to call?
Wesley Hallow
One important thing to consider that nobody's mentioned yet - if your cousin had clients who paid him more than $600 in any year, they might have filed 1099s reporting those payments to the IRS. That means the IRS already knows about some of his income, which is why getting ahead of this voluntarily is so important. Also tell him to look into Qualified Business Income deduction which became available in 2018 - it could reduce his taxable income by up to 20% for the self-employment income. That could make a huge difference across multiple years of back taxes.
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Sophia Carson
AuthorThat's a really good point about the 1099s. He mostly worked for cash but did have some corporate clients who probably reported payments. For the QBI deduction, would that apply even though he didn't file on time? It seems like a huge benefit to miss out on.
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Wesley Hallow
The QBI deduction absolutely applies even for late filed returns! The deduction is tied to the tax year, not when you file. Just make sure when you prepare the 2018-2024 returns that you calculate and claim this deduction - it's basically free money that reduces self-employment tax liability by allowing you to deduct up to 20% of qualified business income. As for the 1099 situation, this is actually why I suggested filing everything at once rather than staggering. The IRS computer system will match reported 1099 income with filed returns, and if you file incomplete years while leaving gaps, it can trigger automated notices for the missing years.
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Justin Chang
Speaking from experience, the biggest issue with back taxes is getting overwhelmed and doing nothing. I put off filing for 7 years and the anxiety was worse than the actual process of fixing it. Start with whatever year you have the most complete records for to build confidence. The hardest part is just starting. And honestly tax pros who specialize in back taxes aren't as expensive as you might think - I paid $1200 total for help with 7 years of unfiled returns and it was the best money I ever spent because they found deductions I never would have known about.
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Grace Thomas
Did you have to pay all the back taxes at once? That's what scares me - I'm in a similar situation and worried I'll owe tens of thousands I don't have.
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