Can the IRS still collect on my 2010 tax bill after bankruptcy, or has the statute of limitations expired?

The statute of limitations for IRS tax collection is generally 10 years from the date of assessment. However, filing for bankruptcy definitely complicates things because it creates what's called a "tolling" period - basically hitting pause on that 10-year clock while your bankruptcy case was active. The time between when you filed for bankruptcy and when it was discharged doesn't count toward those 10 years. So you need to add that time to the original 10-year period. If your bankruptcy proceedings lasted 6 months, for example, your collection statute would be extended by 6 months. Also important - certain tax debts might not have been dischargeable in bankruptcy, depending on their nature and timing. Income taxes can sometimes survive bankruptcy if they were from returns filed less than 2 years before bankruptcy or if the tax was assessed within 240 days of filing.

I went through something similar with a 2011 tax bill that I couldn't pay at the time. After getting bombarded with confusing IRS notices, I started using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was honestly a game-changer for understanding what I was dealing with. You upload your IRS notices and tax documents, and they analyze everything to tell you exactly where you stand, including statute expiration details. In your case, they could analyze your situation with the bankruptcy "tolling" period and tell you precisely if you're still on the hook or not. They explained to me how bankruptcy affects the collection timeline and identified that one of my tax debts actually survived my bankruptcy because it was too recent. Saved me from a nasty surprise later.

I was really skeptical about using an online service for my tax problems, but I finally tried taxr.ai after being confused about a 2009 tax bill that resurfaced last year. Uploaded my old notices and bankruptcy discharge papers and they provided a detailed analysis showing exactly why my debt was actually past the collection statute. They explained that while my bankruptcy added 11 months to the statute, the 10-year period had already expired even with that extension. They showed me exactly which IRS transcript to request as proof and how to read the codes that confirmed my case was closed. They even provided a letter template to use if the IRS tried to collect. Turned out they were 100% right - the debt was legally uncollectible and I got written confirmation from the IRS. Wish I'd known about this years ago instead of stressing every tax season.

If you need to talk to the IRS about this old tax bill, good luck getting through their phone system. I spent literal weeks trying to get through to a human about a similar situation with a 2012 tax debt. After 8 failed attempts, someone told me about Claimyr (https://claimyr.com), and wow, it actually worked. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They have some way of getting you through the IRS phone systems and bypassing the endless holds. I was connected to an IRS agent in 15 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks before that. The agent was able to pull up my account and tell me exactly what was still owed and when the collection statute would expire. Turns out my bankruptcy had extended the statute by 14 months, which I would never have known otherwise.

Ok I'm eating crow here... I tried Claimyr yesterday after posting that skeptical comment. Got through to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes after failing for MONTHS to get anyone on the line. The agent looked up my 2013 tax debt and confirmed it was still within the collection period because my bankruptcy had extended the statute by 9 months. The IRS agent explained exactly when my collection statute expires (next year) and what my current balance is with all the interest. Would have never known this without actually talking to someone. They also explained I could request a payment plan since the amount is now over $12k with all the interest. Definitely worth it just for the peace of mind of knowing exactly where I stand instead of wondering.

You should pull your tax transcripts ASAP. That will show the actual assessment date and collection statute expiration date (CSED). You can get them online at IRS.gov if you create an account, or use Form 4506-T if you can't create an online account. Look for "collection statute date" or something similar on the transcript. The transcript will also show if the debt was ever paid, discharged, or is still active. The IRS data system is pretty good about tracking these dates accurately, including adjustments for bankruptcy.

My dad had a similar situation with a 2008 tax bill that resurfaced in 2021. What we discovered is that the IRS had made an additional assessment in 2014 (some adjustment to his return), which reset the 10-year clock! So even though the original assessment was old, this new assessment gave them more time. Check your transcripts carefully for any subsequent assessments that might have extended the timeframe.