Can my dependent file 2024 taxes before submitting prior year tax returns from 2023?

My daughter missed filing her 2023 tax return completely. Life got crazy with her starting college and working part-time, and it just slipped through the cracks. Now tax season is approaching again, and I'm wondering what's the right order to handle this situation. Can she just file her 2024 taxes normally when she gets all her forms and then go back and deal with the 2023 prior year tax returns afterwards? Or is there some rule that says she has to file the missing 2023 return first before she can submit anything for 2024? She had about $8,400 in income for 2023 from her summer job, if that matters. I don't want her to get into any trouble with the IRS, but also don't want to delay her getting her 2024 refund if possible.

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20 comments

Mei Zhang

•8M

Your daughter can absolutely file her 2024 tax return on time even if she hasn't filed her 2023 return yet. The IRS processes each tax year separately, so there's no technical requirement to file them in chronological order. That said, I'd recommend getting that 2023 return done sooner rather than later. If she's owed a refund for 2023, she generally has 3 years from the original due date to file and claim it (so until April 2027 for 2023 taxes). If she actually owes money for 2023, though, penalties and interest have been accumulating since the original due date. With income of $8,400, she might be under the filing threshold depending on her situation, but it's still worth filing to get any withholding refunded. Plus, having a clean tax history is important for future financial matters like student loans, mortgages, etc.

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Mei Zhang

•8M

You can absolutely still file your 2024 taxes first if you want to. There's no IRS requirement that forces you to file missing returns before current ones. That said, I'd recommend addressing those unfiled years (2021-2023) as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more complicated it can become. If you're owed refunds, you only have 3 years from the original due date to claim them. But if you owe taxes, penalties and interest continue to accrue until you file and pay. Many tax professionals specialize in helping with unfiled prior year tax returns, and they can often help minimize penalties.

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Amara Oluwaseyi

•8M

Just wanted to chime in with my experience. I was in a similar situation last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was super helpful for getting my prior year returns sorted out. I had skipped filing 2021 and was panicking about doing both 2021 and 2022 while also dealing with school. The tool walks you through exactly what you need for each tax year and explains which forms have changed between years, which was a huge help since some deductions and credits were different. It also helped me understand which prior year tax returns I actually needed to file based on my income for those years.

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Amara Oluwaseyi

•8M

Each tax year is handled independently within the platform, and the system automatically applies the correct tax laws and forms for that specific year. Your brother would be able to work on multiple years without confusion about which rules apply when. The service helps you prepare the returns completely and provides clear instructions for submitting them. You're right that the IRS only allows e-filing for the current and previous two tax years in most cases. For older returns, the system generates printable forms with detailed mailing instructions for paper filing to the correct IRS address.

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Giovanni Rossi

•8M

Reporting back! I took the advice and tried taxr.ai for my 2022 and 2023 unfiled returns. It was actually way easier than I expected. The system showed me exactly which prior year tax returns I needed to file based on my income those years, and it turned out I was due refunds for both! The walkthrough for handling multiple tax years was super clear and much less stressful than I thought it would be. I've already received my 2022 refund (took about 6 weeks after mailing) and now I'm just waiting on 2023. Definitely taking care of my 2024 taxes on time!

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Fatima Al-Maktoum

•8M

If your daughter is expecting a refund and needs it quickly, she should know that dealing with the IRS phone system to check on prior year tax returns is absolutely brutal right now. I spent weeks trying to get through to ask about my 2022 return that I filed late. I finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) after seeing someone recommend it here, and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the hours I was spending on hold before giving up. You can see how it works in their demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone tree and wait on hold, then call you when an agent is ready.

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Fatima Al-Maktoum

•8M

It's definitely not a scam - they don't have a special line to the IRS, but they use technology to navigate the IRS phone tree and wait on hold so you don't have to. Their system basically calls the IRS, goes through all the prompts, waits in the queue (which can be hours), and then when a human agent finally answers, they call your phone and connect you directly to that agent. They don't do anything magical - they just handle the frustrating waiting and phone tree navigation part. Think of it like having someone wait in a physical line for you, then texting you when it's your turn so you don't waste hours of your day. I was skeptical too until I tried it, but when I got connected to an actual IRS representative after only waiting 15 minutes on my end, I was sold.

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Dylan Mitchell

•8M

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still desperate to reach the IRS about my unfiled prior year tax returns from 2021 and 2022, so I gave it a shot anyway. Not gonna lie, I was shocked when my phone rang about 30 minutes after I submitted my request, and there was an actual IRS agent on the line. Saved me literally hours of waiting on hold. I was able to confirm exactly what I needed to do with my late returns and get info on how to minimize penalties. Worth every penny just for the peace of mind and not having to burn a vacation day sitting on hold.

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Dmitry Petrov

•8M

Using the same tax software for both years is actually preferable if possible. Most major tax software (including TurboTax) can handle prior year tax returns, and they'll properly import carryover information from one year to the next if you complete them in order. If she decides to file 2024 first, she can still go back and do 2023 later with the same software, but she might need to manually enter some information that would have carried over automatically. For TurboTax specifically, they keep prior year versions available, but there may be an additional cost for accessing them depending on which package she uses. Other options like FreeTaxUSA often have lower costs for prior year returns if that's a concern.

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