Handling Back Taxes After 6 Years of Incarceration - What Forms to File?

Based on what you've shared, you're taking the right initial steps. Getting your tax transcripts is definitely the way to go before doing anything else. Those will show exactly what income has been reported under your SSN for each year and give you a clear picture of what you're dealing with. Since you mentioned identity theft, this is especially important. If someone was using your identity while you were incarcerated, you'll need to file Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) along with documentation proving you were incarcerated during those periods. Your prison release paperwork can serve as evidence. For the years you were incarcerated, if you had no income, you technically wouldn't need to file returns. However, filing $0 income returns might help establish your situation. Once you get your transcripts, you'll know exactly what income was reported and can dispute anything that wasn't actually yours. The IRS has programs for people who can't pay their full tax debt - look into an "Offer in Compromise" or payment plans once you determine what you legitimately owe. And contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service (they're free) if you need additional help navigating this situation.

After getting out of a similar situation last year, I found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that literally saved me thousands of dollars. I was also dealing with tax issues after incarceration and had identity theft issues too. When I got my transcripts, I couldn't make sense of them - they had all these income sources I knew nothing about. I uploaded my transcripts to taxr.ai and it analyzed everything automatically, showing me what income was reported under my name during years I was locked up. It even helped me draft the right letters to dispute the fraudulent income and gave me templates for hardship documentation. The best part was it showed exactly which forms I needed for my specific situation.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after my initial skepticism and wow, it actually delivered. I uploaded my brother's transcripts and it immediately flagged four suspicious W-2s that were filed during his incarceration period. The system even generated a complete identity theft package with all the forms needed and a timeline showing how the fraudulent income couldn't be his based on his documented incarceration dates. The IRS accepted our dispute package on the first submission and removed over $8,000 in tax debt from his account! The step-by-step guidance made it so much easier than trying to figure everything out from the IRS website. For anyone dealing with tax issues after incarceration, especially with potential identity theft, it's definitely worth checking out.

I know you've already called the IRS a bunch, but when I was dealing with a similar post-incarceration tax nightmare, I discovered this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that was a game-changer. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c After spending weeks trying to get through to the IRS myself, I used Claimyr and got connected to an agent in less than 20 minutes. The thing with identity theft and incarceration issues is that you really need to speak with a specialized department, which is nearly impossible to reach through normal channels. With Claimyr, I managed to get directly connected to someone who could actually access my file and flag it for identity theft review right away instead of waiting months for a response to mailed forms.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it because I was desperate to talk to someone about my audit situation. I had been trying for THREE WEEKS to get through to the IRS with no luck. I used Claimyr yesterday morning, and within 45 minutes I was talking to an actual IRS agent who helped clear up my whole situation. They saved me from filing a bunch of unnecessary paperwork and confirmed which forms I actually needed. The agent even put notes in my file about my incarceration period, which will help with the identity theft claims I'm making. I was 100% sure this would be a waste of money, but it legitimately works. Apologies for calling it a scam - sometimes being proven wrong is a good thing.

Don't forget to look into the Fresh Start program with the IRS. If you've been incarcerated and have no assets, you might qualify for Currently Not Collectible status which would put your tax debt on hold. Also, tax debts over 10 years old can sometimes be uncollectible due to the statute of limitations. I went through something similar after 4 years inside. The key is to stay in communication with the IRS - that's the biggest mistake people make. Once you get your transcripts, you might also qualify for innocent spouse relief if some of these taxes stem from a former partner.

One more thing - if you were working in any prison work programs during your incarceration, that income might be taxable depending on the program type. Most prison work doesn't generate W-2s, but some work release or industry programs do. Check if you have any legitimate income from those sources before disputing everything. When I got out, I had both fraudulent income reports AND legitimate ones from my work release program in the last 8 months of my sentence.