How do I file my taxes late for 2023 after missing the April deadline?

Don't panic! Filing late happens to many people and the process is still pretty straightforward, especially if you're expecting a refund. To answer your questions: You need to use the 2023 tax year option on freetaxusa since you're filing for the 2023 tax year (which was due April 15, 2024). Never select 2024 as that would be for next year's taxes. The good news is if you're expecting a refund, there's typically no penalty for filing late. The IRS doesn't penalize you for getting your own money back late. However, if you owe taxes, there are two penalties that could apply - a failure-to-file penalty (usually 5% of unpaid taxes per month) and a failure-to-pay penalty (usually 0.5% per month). You can absolutely still do everything online. After filing electronically, you'll receive confirmation when your return is accepted by the IRS. Then it's just a waiting game for your refund if you're owed one.

After struggling with a similar situation last year, I found a service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really saved me when filing late. I had missed the deadline by almost 3 months and was confused about which forms I needed and what penalties might apply. The tool analyzes your specific situation and walks you through exactly what you need to do when filing late - including which forms you need to submit, what penalties might apply to your situation, and deadlines you need to be aware of. It was especially helpful in figuring out the difference between the failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties in my case.

I was super skeptical about taxr.ai when I first heard about it (as you can see from my earlier comment), but I decided to give it a try last week for my late filing situation. I was honestly surprised at how helpful it was! It analyzed my somewhat complicated situation (had moved between states mid-year) and gave me a clear breakdown of exactly what I needed to do for both federal and state returns. The penalty calculator was especially useful - it showed me exactly what I was facing for filing 2 months late. The step-by-step guide made the process much less stressful, and I was able to successfully file everything using freetaxusa with the guidance I got. Would definitely recommend for anyone in a late filing situation.

If you're worried about any issues with your late return or have questions about penalties, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually speak with an IRS agent directly. I tried calling the IRS myself about my late filing last year and spent HOURS on hold, getting disconnected multiple times. With Claimyr, I got through to an actual IRS representative in about 15 minutes. They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is available. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It was so worth it to get definitive answers straight from the IRS about my late filing situation instead of stressing and guessing.

I have to eat crow here. After posting that skeptical comment about Claimyr, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to try it for myself since I also needed to talk to the IRS about my late filing situation. I'm genuinely shocked to report that it actually worked exactly as advertised. I've tried calling the IRS three separate times this month and never got through (waited over 2 hours each time before giving up). With this service, I got a call back in about 45 minutes with an actual IRS representative on the line. The agent helped me understand exactly what penalties applied to my situation and what I could do to potentially have them reduced. Totally worth it and I apologize for my skepticism. Sometimes good things do exist!

Just to add another perspective - if you're expecting a refund, you have up to 3 years from the original due date to file and still get your money back. So for 2023 taxes, you have until April 15, 2027. After that, you lose your refund. But if you owe money, you should file ASAP to minimize penalties and interest which start accumulating from the original due date (April 15, 2024).

Has anyone used freetaxusa for late filing specifically? Is there anything special I need to know about using it for late returns? I'm in a similar boat but worried the software might be different somehow for late filers.