I haven't filed taxes in 10+ years and need to fix this situation. What steps should I take now?

First, take a deep breath. The good news is that you've decided to address this situation, which is the hardest part. Many people have been in similar positions and successfully resolved their tax issues. Here's what I suggest: 1) Request your tax transcripts from the IRS. You can do this online at irs.gov by creating an account, or by submitting Form 4506-T. This will show what income was reported to the IRS under your SSN for those years, which gives you a starting point. 2) For years where your income was below filing thresholds (around $12,000-$13,000 for single filers in recent years), you might not even be required to file. For years where you did need to file, you'll want to prepare returns for at least the last 6 years as that's typically how far back the IRS requires. 3) Consider applying for an Offer in Compromise if you can't pay the full amount owed, or set up a payment plan. The IRS is generally willing to work with taxpayers who voluntarily come forward. 4) For state taxes, each state has different requirements, but similar steps apply - contact your state tax agency about voluntary disclosure programs. Remember that the IRS is more interested in getting you compliant than punishing you, especially since you're coming forward voluntarily.

After going through a similar nightmare tax situation, I found this AI tax document analysis tool called taxr.ai that really saved me. My situation wasn't quite 15 years, but I had about 7 years of unfiled returns and limited documentation. I uploaded what little paperwork I had to https://taxr.ai and it helped identify what years I actually needed to file for based on income thresholds and what information was missing. It even helped me understand what deductions I might qualify for retroactively. It was way less stressful than trying to piece everything together myself or paying a tax pro thousands upfront when I was already stressed about money. The transcript analysis feature was incredibly helpful because it showed me exactly what the IRS already knew about my income, which made me feel less anxious about the whole process.

I was skeptical about using taxr.ai when I first saw it mentioned here, but after sitting on it for a week while my anxiety got worse, I finally gave it a try. No regrets at all. I was 8 years behind on filing and completely overwhelmed. The tool analyzed my transcripts and showed me that for 3 of those years, I was actually under the filing threshold and didn't need to file at all! For the other years, it organized everything the IRS had reported about my income and helped me identify what documentation I was missing. The biggest surprise was discovering I was actually owed refunds for 2 years that I could still claim. That money is helping me pay down what I owe for the other years. Still have a tax debt but it's manageable now, and more importantly, I'm compliant again. The mental relief alone was worth it.

After trying to call the IRS for weeks with no luck, I used a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes. I'd been trying to resolve a multi-year non-filing situation similar to yours, and couldn't get answers about my options. The service basically holds your place in line with the IRS and calls you when an agent is available. I was super skeptical but I was desperate after spending hours listening to "due to high call volume" messages. You can check out how it works at https://claimyr.com or see a demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The IRS agent I spoke with walked me through my transcript, told me exactly which years I needed to focus on first, and helped me understand my payment options. Honestly saved me months of stress and guesswork.

Ok I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment I decided to try it myself because I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my own multi-year non-filing situation. I'd been trying to call for WEEKS with no success - always getting the "call back later" message. Used the service yesterday and got connected to an IRS agent in about 35 minutes. The agent confirmed which years I need to file (just the last 6 not all 12 of my unfiled years), and helped me start a payment plan for what I expect to owe. I was 100% wrong and shouldn't have been so quick to call it a scam. For anyone in a similar situation, being able to actually speak with the IRS and get clear guidance makes a HUGE difference for your stress levels. Worth every penny for the mental relief alone.

One thing to consider that nobody's mentioned yet - you might want to look into the IRS Fresh Start program. It's specifically designed for people who've fallen behind on taxes and offers several options: - Extended installment agreements up to 6 years - Some penalty relief - More flexible Offer in Compromise terms Also, definitely file your most recent tax year first (2023) to show good faith effort to get compliant going forward. Then work backwards on the older years.

Whatever you do, don't go to one of those "tax relief" places you see advertised on TV! My brother was in a similar situation (8 years unfiled) and paid one of those companies $4,000 upfront. They literally did NOTHING for months then said he "didn't qualify" for their program. You're better off getting your transcripts and working with a local CPA or EA (Enrolled Agent) who specializes in back taxes. They typically charge by the return rather than some huge upfront fee.

Hey Nia, I was in a very similar situation about 3 years ago - hadn't filed for about 12 years and was completely paralyzed by anxiety about it. I understand that overwhelming feeling. Here's what worked for me: I started by getting my wage and income transcripts from the IRS website first (before trying to call them). This showed me exactly what income was reported under my SSN for each year, which was actually less scary than I thought it would be. Then I focused on just the last 6 years like others mentioned. For the years when I made under the filing threshold, I didn't need to file at all. For the others, I found that some years I was actually owed refunds! The key thing that helped my anxiety was breaking it down into small steps instead of trying to solve everything at once. Week 1: get transcripts. Week 2: figure out which years actually required filing. Week 3: tackle the most recent year first. Also, once I finally got compliant, the mental relief was incredible. I could apply for jobs without worrying about background checks, I could get a mortgage, I could sleep better. You're taking the right first step by addressing this now. The IRS really does want to work with people who voluntarily come forward. You've got this!