Is it too late to file my 2023 taxes in 2025? First-timer needing help!
So I'm in a bit of a mess and feeling super embarrassed about this but... I never filed my taxes for 2023! I had a falling out with my parents back in March of 2024 (right before tax season) and suddenly realized I had NO IDEA how to file taxes on my own. They'd always handled it for me before this. I'm 24 and only made around $14,000 in 2023 from my part-time job at the coffee shop. I've been avoiding thinking about it because I'm terrified I'll owe a massive penalty or something. Is it too late to file my 2023 taxes now? Will I be in huge trouble with the IRS?? I've been stressing about this for months but finally worked up the courage to ask for help. Anyone know what I should do or how much trouble I'm in? The whole tax system just confuses me so much :
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Liam Fitzgerald
Good news! It's definitely not too late to file your 2023 taxes. There's actually no time limit for filing a tax return if the IRS owes YOU money (which is likely in your case with that income level). Since you earned only about $14,000 in 2023, you probably qualify for a refund rather than owing taxes. If you do owe the IRS money, there may be penalties and interest for filing late, but they're usually calculated as a percentage of what you owe. With your income level, any penalties would likely be minimal if you owe anything at all. The best thing to do is file your taxes as soon as possible. You can use free tax software like IRS Free File, which is still available for prior year returns. You'll need your W-2 form from your employer and any other tax documents from 2023.
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Mei Wong
•Thank you so much for your help! That's a huge relief to hear. I wasn't sure if there was like a "statute of limitations" on filing or something. I do have my W-2 from the coffee shop somewhere in my files... do you think I'll get in trouble for waiting this long? And is there a special form I need to use since it's late?
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Liam Fitzgerald
•You won't get in "trouble" for filing late, especially if you're due a refund. The IRS actually encourages people to file back taxes if they haven't. For 2023 taxes, you'll use the same Form 1040 that was used for that tax year - you can download prior year forms from the IRS website. Since you're likely due a refund, there's no penalty for filing late. However, you should know that there is a 3-year time limit for claiming a refund. For 2023 taxes, you have until April 15, 2027 to file and still get your refund, so you've got plenty of time.
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PixelWarrior
When I went through a similar situation, I used https://taxr.ai to help figure out my back taxes. It was super helpful since I also had no idea what I was doing! The tool analyzed my situation, showed me which forms I needed, and guided me through the whole process. The thing I loved most was that it explained all the technical tax jargon in terms I could actually understand. You just upload your W-2 and it figures out most of the info automatically. Given your income level, you're probably getting a refund which means no penalties!
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Amara Adebayo
•Did you have to pay to use this? I'm also behind on my taxes (2022 AND 2023) and kinda broke right now... does it help with state taxes too or just federal?
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Giovanni Rossi
•I'm a bit skeptical about these tax tools... how do you know it's getting everything right? I mean, if the IRS comes after you later, you can't just blame some website right?
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PixelWarrior
•You can use the basic features to get started without paying anything. It helps you understand if you'll get a refund before you have to decide about any paid features, and it definitely helped me with both federal and state taxes for my situation. As for accuracy, I was concerned about that too! The site actually explains the tax rules it's using and why it's making certain recommendations. I ended up checking some things on the IRS website to be sure, and everything matched up. You're still ultimately responsible, but it makes the whole process way less intimidating.
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Giovanni Rossi
Just wanted to update after trying https://taxr.ai for my late 2023 taxes. It was actually way better than I expected! The document scanner saved me so much time - I just took pics of my W-2 and it pulled all the numbers automatically. I was really nervous about messing something up, but it walked me through everything step by step. Turns out I'm getting a $820 refund I never would have claimed otherwise! Already filed and now just waiting for the money. Wish I hadn't waited so long to deal with this stress.
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Fatima Al-Mansour
If you need to talk to the IRS about your situation, good luck getting through to them! I spent HOURS on hold and kept getting disconnected. Then I found https://claimyr.com and tried their service (you can watch how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of the hours I was wasting before. I explained my late filing situation to the agent, and they were actually super helpful in explaining what forms I needed and confirmed I wouldn't have penalties since I was due a refund. Saved me so much stress not having to guess what I needed to do!
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Dylan Evans
•Wait, how does this even work? The IRS phone lines are always jammed... are you saying this somehow gets you to the front of the line? That seems too good to be true.
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Sofia Gomez
•This sounds like a scam tbh. Why would anyone be able to "skip the line" with the IRS? They're a government agency. No way this is legit.
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Fatima Al-Mansour
•It doesn't exactly put you at the front of the line. What it does is automatically dial the IRS for you, navigate through all those annoying menu options, and wait on hold so you don't have to. Then when an actual agent picks up, it calls you and connects you directly to them. You're still "in line" - you just don't have to personally sit through the 2+ hour wait. I was skeptical too at first, but the reason it works is simply that they're handling the waiting part with technology instead of you having to do it yourself. When I finally spoke with the IRS agent, it was a completely normal IRS call - the service just handled the frustrating waiting part.
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Sofia Gomez
Ok I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. I tried it out of desperation because I needed specific info about filing my late 2023 return that I couldn't find online. Not only did it actually work, but I got through to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes (which is AMAZING compared to the 3+ hours I tried before). The agent helped me understand exactly what I needed to do for my situation with missing W-2s and everything. Ended up saving me from making mistakes that would have delayed my refund even more. Sorry for being so skeptical. Just wanted to update since this actually solved a huge headache for me.
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StormChaser
Just a heads up - make sure you also look into your state tax situation! Everyone's focusing on federal here, but most states also require tax returns. The deadline and penalties vary by state.
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Mei Wong
•Omg I didn't even think about state taxes! I'm in Illinois - do you know if they have different rules for late filing? This is getting complicated again 😩
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StormChaser
•Illinois follows similar rules to the federal government - if you're due a refund, there's no penalty for filing late. You generally have 3 years to claim a refund in Illinois too. You can file previous year Illinois returns through their MyTax Illinois portal. If you ended up owing Illinois any tax (which is unlikely at your income level), there would be some penalties and interest, but they're usually pretty small for lower income amounts. The most important thing is just to get it filed!
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Dmitry Petrov
For anyone in this situation, please remember that if your income was only $14k in 2023, you were probably under the filing requirement threshold anyway! For 2023, single filers under 25 didn't need to file if they made less than $12,950.
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Ava Williams
•That's not completely accurate. The standard deduction was $12,950 in 2023, but you could still be required to file depending on other factors like self-employment income (even small amounts), if someone claimed you as a dependent, or if you had health insurance through the marketplace.
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Isaiah Thompson
Don't feel embarrassed at all - you're definitely not alone in this situation! I work as a tax preparer and see people in similar circumstances all the time. The good news is that with your income level of $14,000, you're almost certainly due a refund rather than owing anything. Here's what I'd recommend: First, gather your 2023 W-2 from the coffee shop (contact them if you can't find it - they're required to provide copies). Then you have a few options - you can use free tax software like the IRS Free File program, visit a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) location for free help, or even just fill out a simple 1040 form. The key thing is that there's no penalty for filing late when you're due a refund. You have until April 15, 2027 to claim your 2023 refund, so you've got plenty of time. Once you file, you'll probably get back most or all of what was withheld from your paychecks, and you might even qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit which could mean extra money back. You're taking the right step by asking for help - don't let tax anxiety keep you from claiming money that's rightfully yours!
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