Can I e-file past due tax returns or am I stuck with paper filing?

Unfortunately, the IRS only allows electronic filing for the current tax year and two prior years. If your past due returns are within that window, you can still e-file them using certain tax preparation software. For example, if you're trying to file a 2023 or 2022 return now in 2025, you should be able to e-file those. But if you're trying to file 2021 or earlier, you'll need to paper file those returns. Not all tax preparation services support prior year e-filing, which is why ezTaxReturn might be rejecting your attempt. TaxAct, TurboTax, and H&R Block all offer prior year filing options, though you may need to purchase their paid versions rather than using free options. Just make sure to download the correct tax year version of the software.

After struggling for weeks with old tax returns, I finally found a solution through taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that made the process so much easier. I had three years of unfiled returns and was totally confused about which forms I needed and how to handle them. Their system actually analyzed all my tax documents from previous years and organized everything I needed for proper filing. What impressed me was how it identified potential deductions I would have missed on my own for those past years. The interface walks you through each year separately with the correct forms for that specific tax year. It saved me the headache of figuring out which version of each form I needed for each year.

Just wanted to update everyone - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it really did make dealing with my old returns much simpler. The document analysis feature saved me tons of time since I had a mess of old W-2s and 1099s that needed sorting. It automatically recognized which tax year each document was for and organized everything. I still had to print and mail the 2020 return since it was too old for e-filing, but the 2021 one actually could be e-filed through their system. The step-by-step guidance really helped me understand what I was missing from each year. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the same boat with past due returns!

If you're struggling to get someone at the IRS to answer questions about your past due returns (like I was), try using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent literally days trying to get through to an IRS agent to ask about penalty abatement for my late filings, and kept getting disconnected. With Claimyr, I actually got through to a real IRS agent in under 15 minutes after weeks of frustration. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The IRS agent was able to tell me exactly which years I needed to prioritize filing first and explained how to request penalty abatement for reasonable cause.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I tried that Claimyr service and it actually worked. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to give it a shot since I needed answers about my unfiled 2019-2021 returns. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes who actually gave me super helpful advice. They told me which specific forms I needed for my situation and confirmed I could get some penalties reduced through their First Time Abatement program since I had a good filing history before my missed years. The agent even noted it in my account that I had called and was working on resolving the situation. Money well spent considering I had wasted days trying to get through on my own.

If your returns are more than 3 years past due, make sure you file them ASAP to get any refunds you're owed! There's a 3-year deadline to claim refunds, and after that, the money goes to the government permanently. I learned this the hard way and lost about $1,200 from my 2019 return because I waited too long.

Does anyone know if FreeTaxUSA lets you file prior year returns? I've used them for the past couple years and their interface is way easier than some of the bigger names.

For anyone dealing with multiple years of unfiled returns, I'd strongly recommend prioritizing them by which ones might have refunds versus which ones you'll owe money on. As Sofia mentioned, you only have 3 years to claim refunds, so those should be your absolute top priority. I was in a similar situation last year with 4 years of unfiled returns. I ended up using a mix of approaches - FreeTaxUSA for the years that could still be e-filed (super affordable at around $15 per return), and had to paper file the oldest ones. The key is just getting started rather than letting the overwhelm keep you procrastinating. One tip that helped me: gather ALL your tax documents first before you start any filing. Having everything organized upfront made the whole process way less stressful than trying to hunt down missing forms while in the middle of preparing returns.