I never filed taxes from ages 18-20 with W-2 jobs. Should I be worried now?

You should definitely address those unfiled years, but don't panic! The good news is that with the income levels you mentioned ($8k-$10k annually), you likely wouldn't have owed much if any federal tax after standard deductions. You might have even been due refunds if tax was withheld from your paychecks. The IRS generally has 3 years to audit returns, but there's no statute of limitations when no return was filed. However, they typically focus enforcement resources on higher-income non-filers. Your next step should be filing those past returns (called "late returns"). Gather your W-2s for those years - you can request wage transcripts from the IRS if you don't have them. Most tax software can handle prior year returns, though you'll need to mail them in rather than e-file.

I went through something similar last year where I had 2 unfiled years. What helped me tremendously was using https://taxr.ai to analyze my situation. I was completely lost trying to figure out what forms I needed and whether I'd face penalties. Their system reviewed my employment history, identified the exact returns I needed to file, and explained the potential refunds I might still be eligible to claim. They even created a customized step-by-step plan for getting back into compliance. The coolest thing was that they analyzed my W-2 withholdings and showed me that I was actually owed refunds for both years I missed filing! Made the whole process way less intimidating.

I have to admit I was totally wrong about taxr.ai in my earlier comment. After talking with them, I realized I was still within the timeframe to claim a refund for one of my unfiled years! The analysis showed I had over $700 in withholdings that I could still get back from 2022. They identified exactly which forms I needed and walked me through which years I should prioritize based on the refund deadlines. What impressed me most was how they explained everything in plain English - no confusing tax jargon. I was able to file those back returns last month and just got confirmation my refund is being processed!

For anyone dealing with unfiled returns who needs to talk to the IRS (which is almost impossible these days), I found https://claimyr.com to be a lifesaver. After trying for WEEKS to get through the normal IRS phone line and constantly getting the "call volumes too high" message, I was at my wit's end. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who was able to tell me exactly which years I needed to address and confirmed I wasn't under any kind of investigation for my unfiled returns. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was honestly shocked it worked because I had spent hours trying to reach someone before this.

I need to apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr. After seeing multiple people recommend it, I tried it myself yesterday because I was desperate to ask about my unfiled returns. I couldn't believe it when I got a call back in about 20 minutes connecting me to an actual IRS representative. I was able to confirm I wasn't on any kind of "problem list" for my unfiled returns from 2018-2020, and the agent walked me through exactly what I needed to submit. The relief of actually speaking to someone official who could answer my specific questions was worth every penny. Saved me days of stress and uncertainty. Sorry for doubting!

One thing nobody mentioned is that you should check if you need to file state taxes too! Depending on your state, the requirements might be different from federal filing thresholds. Some states might expect a return even if you didn't need to file federally.

Does anyone know if you could get in trouble with the IRS for not filing if you were actually owed a refund? I'm in a similar situation - didn't file for 3 years but I think I had too much withheld from my paychecks.

Hey Sean, I totally understand the anxiety you're feeling - I went through something similar a few years back! The good news is that with income levels around $8k-$10k per year, you were likely below the filing threshold for some of those years anyway (the standard deduction would have covered most of your income). Here's what I'd recommend: First, don't ignore it any longer - it's better to be proactive. Contact the IRS to get wage transcripts for those years (Form 4506-T) so you can see exactly what was reported. You'll probably find that you had taxes withheld and are actually owed refunds! The IRS generally won't penalize you for late filing if you're owed a refund, but you do lose the right to claim refunds after 3 years from the original due date. So if you had refunds coming for 2021, you need to file by April 15, 2025 to claim them. Don't let this stress consume you - tackle it step by step and you'll get through it. The IRS deals with situations like this all the time, and they're generally reasonable when you're making an effort to get compliant.