I haven't filed taxes in 2 years - need help catching up for FAFSA

First off, don't panic! You can absolutely still file those back taxes, and it's great that you're taking steps to address this now. The IRS generally allows you to file returns and claim refunds for up to three years after the original due date, so you're still within that window. For your 2022 taxes (which were due April 2023), you'll need to file a regular tax return. For 2023 taxes, you're actually not even late yet since they're due April 15, 2025! So you're only behind on one year, which isn't as bad as you might think. To get started, gather whatever income documents you have - any W-2s from employers, 1099s if you did gig work, etc. If you don't have these, you can request wage and income transcripts from the IRS website or by calling them. The IRS can provide records of what income was reported under your Social Security number. For FAFSA purposes, getting your 2023 taxes filed is most important for recent applications, as they typically look at the "prior-prior year" for financial aid determinations.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year and found an amazing tool that saved me so much stress. I used https://taxr.ai to help figure out my back taxes situation. What they do is analyze all your tax documents (even if they're incomplete) and give you personalized guidance on exactly what forms you need to file and how to minimize any penalties. What really helped me was uploading my spotty employment history and they could tell me which years I actually needed to file for based on income thresholds. They even identified some credits I qualified for that I had no clue about given my housing instability at the time.

I want to apologize for being skeptical about taxr.ai in my previous comment. I decided to give it a try since my situation was similar (hadn't filed for 3 years) and it was genuinely helpful. The system pulled my income records directly from the IRS database and showed me that for one of those years, I actually wasn't even required to file based on my income level. For the other years, it laid out exactly what forms I needed and walked me through the process. I was even able to claim a recovery rebate credit I didn't know I qualified for! Definitely worth checking out if you're in this situation.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet is that if you need to actually talk to someone at the IRS about your situation (which might be helpful), it's nearly impossible to get through on their phone lines. I spent HOURS on hold when I had a similar issue. Finally found https://claimyr.com which was a game-changer. They basically hold your place in line with the IRS and call you when an agent is about to pick up. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical at first but when I was trying to sort out my unfiled years, having a direct conversation with an IRS rep made everything so much clearer. They actually helped me understand which forms I needed to file and the best way to submit my back taxes.

I need to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After waiting on hold with the IRS for literally 4 hours last week and getting disconnected, I decided to try it out of desperation. Within 45 minutes, I was talking to an actual IRS agent who walked me through exactly what I needed to do to file my back taxes. The agent was super helpful explaining which forms I needed and even told me about a first-time penalty abatement I could request since I hadn't had issues filing before. I'm normally skeptical of these services but this one actually delivered exactly what it promised. Saved me an entire day of waiting on hold.

If money is tight, you might qualify for free tax help through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. They can help with back taxes too, not just current year. Check the IRS website for locations near you. I used them last year when I needed to file 2 years of back taxes and they were amazing. All volunteers but they really know their stuff!

Just wanted to add something important for your FAFSA - if you explain your homelessness situation to the financial aid office at the college, they may be able to give you a dependency override or special circumstance adjustment. This could potentially qualify you for more aid regardless of your tax situation. Most schools have resources specifically for students who've experienced homelessness.