How should I handle not filing taxes for 6 years? Finally getting my life together

Congrats on getting things back on track in your life! The good news is that the IRS has procedures for exactly this situation, and it's definitely fixable. First, you'll need to file returns for all 6 missing years. Since you mentioned having your W-2s, that's extremely helpful. Gather all tax documents from those years - W-2s, 1099s, mortgage interest statements, etc. The IRS typically focuses on the last 6 years for unfiled returns, so your timing is good. If you're owed refunds, you can only claim them for the last 3 years, unfortunately. For years where you might owe, yes, there will be penalties and interest, but the largest penalty (failure-to-file) maxes out at 25% of the unpaid tax. The good news is that if you were having withholding taken out correctly, your actual tax debt might be minimal. I'd recommend working with a tax professional who specializes in back taxes - specifically an Enrolled Agent or CPA with experience in delinquent filings. They can help determine if you qualify for any penalty abatements and ensure everything is filed correctly.

I was in almost the exact same boat a few months ago (5 years unfiled) and was absolutely freaking out about it. After talking to like three different preparers who wanted crazy money, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much hassle. Their system can analyze all your old tax docs and help figure out the best way to file everything. I uploaded all my W-2s and other random tax forms I had, and their system showed me which years I was actually owed refunds on (2 out of 5!) and which ones I needed to pay. They even helped me set up a payment plan for the years I owed. The whole process was way less stressful than I expected.

Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try taxr.ai after seeing this thread and wow, it was exactly what I needed. I had 4 years of unfiled taxes and was losing sleep over it. Uploaded all my docs (some were pretty crumpled lol) and the system actually found that I was owed refunds for 2 of the years! For the other 2 years I did owe some money, but it was WAY less than I feared - like $1,200 total including penalties. The whole process took about a week and now I'm completely caught up. Such a relief to have this off my shoulders. If anyone else is in this situation, definitely worth checking out.

If you need to actually speak with someone at the IRS about your situation (which might be a good idea), good luck getting through to them. I spent 2 months trying to get someone on the phone about my back taxes. After 8 attempts and literally hours on hold, I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real IRS agent in under 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was super skeptical at first, but it saved me from the endless hold music hell. The IRS agent I spoke with helped me understand exactly what I needed to do to get compliant again and even helped me set up a payment plan that I could actually afford. Made the whole process way less intimidating.

Had to come back and eat my words. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still struggling with my own tax situation and couldn't get through to the IRS after trying for THREE DAYS. Out of desperation, I tried Claimyr and... it actually worked exactly as advertised. Was connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent was super helpful and walked me through exactly what I needed to do for my unfiled returns. They even helped me understand which penalties might be eligible for abatement in my situation. Honestly saved me so much stress and probably money too since I now understand exactly what I need to do instead of guessing. Sometimes being wrong on the internet isn't so bad lol.

Everyone's mentioning penalties, but don't forget about the Failure to File Penalty Forgiveness program! If you've filed and paid on time for the past 3 years, and meet certain requirements, the IRS might forgive your penalties for the first time you fail to file. Worth asking about when you're working through this. Also, check if you qualified for any stimulus payments during those years - you might be able to claim those retroactively depending on which years we're talking about.

Has anyone else noticed that the IRS sometimes doesn't even care if you don't file? My brother didn't file for like 4 years and nothing ever happened. I think they only come after you if you owe them a lot.

One thing no one has mentioned - make sure you file in the right order! Start with the oldest year first and work forward. This is important because some tax attributes carry forward from year to year. If you have any business losses, capital losses, or credits that might carry forward, filing out of sequence can really mess things up.

Really glad to hear you're getting your life back on track! Six years of unfiled returns might seem overwhelming, but it's absolutely manageable and you're taking the right step by addressing it now. A few key points to keep in mind: Since you mentioned having steady W-2 income with proper withholding, there's a good chance you may have been owed refunds for some of those years (though you can only claim refunds for the last 3 years). The penalty situation might not be as bad as you think if you don't actually owe much. Before jumping into anything, I'd suggest requesting wage and income transcripts from the IRS for each of those years - you can do this online at IRS.gov. This will show you exactly what income the IRS has on file for you and help you gather any missing documents. It's free and can really help you understand your situation before you start filing. Given your income level and the fact that you had withholding, you might be able to handle some of the simpler years yourself using tax software for prior years, but definitely consider getting professional help for at least the first year to make sure you're doing everything correctly. The peace of mind is worth it, and they can often spot opportunities for penalty abatements or other relief you might not know about. You've got this! Taking action now is the hardest part, and it sounds like you're in a much better place to handle it than you were before.