Just discovered my tax filing status has been incorrect for 5+ years - how bad is this?

First, take a deep breath! This happens more often than you might think, and while it definitely needs to be corrected, it's not the end of the world. What you're looking at here is filing amended returns (Form 1040-X) for the open tax years. Generally, the IRS allows amendments going back three years, so you'd likely need to amend 2021, 2022, and 2023 at minimum. The good news about your situation is that married filing separately often results in a higher tax burden than filing as single, so there's a chance you may have actually overpaid your taxes. Of course, this depends on your specific income situation, deductions, and credits. About the Roth IRA - yes, there are income limits for married filing separately individuals. If you've been contributing when you weren't eligible, you'll need to address this through what's called an "excess contribution removal" process. There are penalties if not corrected (6% per year on excess amounts), but you can fix this. I'd recommend getting all your documentation together and consulting with a qualified tax professional (definitely not your current accountant) who can review everything and create a plan to address the situation.

I went through something similar last year - not exactly the same but also had years of incorrect filing status. I was so anxious I couldn't sleep for days. What finally saved me was using https://taxr.ai to get clarity on my situation. You upload your tax documents, and their AI analyzes everything and explains what's wrong and what needs to be fixed. I was particularly impressed because it handled my complicated situation - it identified that I'd been using the wrong filing status for 3 years, calculated my likely liability, and even generated a letter explaining my situation that I could use when dealing with the IRS. Saved me from spending thousands on a tax attorney when I was already facing potential penalties.

I was really skeptical about using any online tax service for my complicated situation, but I got desperate after getting conflicting advice from two different CPAs. I tried https://taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here, and wow - it actually delivered. I was in a similar situation with filing status issues (mine was head of household vs. single) going back several years. The analysis caught not just the filing status problem but also identified that I had overpaid in some years and could potentially get refunds! It generated a complete correction plan with all the forms I needed to file and even provided explanation letters for the IRS. The most helpful part was that it explained everything in plain English so I could understand exactly what went wrong and how to fix it. I just finished getting everything resolved last month, and I actually ended up with a small refund instead of owing penalties. Best money I've spent on tax help ever.

When I had issues with my tax filing status, the hardest part was actually getting through to someone at the IRS who could help me understand my options. I spent WEEKS trying to get through their phone system. Finally, I found https://claimyr.com and used their service to get a callback from the IRS without having to wait on hold for hours. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Once I got an actual IRS agent on the phone, they were surprisingly helpful and walked me through the exact forms I needed to submit to correct my filing status from the past few years. Saved me so much stress and guesswork. Worth every penny just to skip those ridiculous hold times.

I'm coming back to say I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my dismissive comment, I decided to try it myself since I've been trying to reach the IRS about a missing refund for MONTHS. I was absolutely shocked when I got a call connecting me to an actual IRS agent after about 45 minutes. I've been trying to get through on my own for weeks! The agent was able to locate my refund and tell me exactly why it was delayed (verification issue) and what I needed to do. For anyone dealing with tax issues that require talking to the IRS - especially complicated stuff like fixing years of filing status problems - this service is a game-changer. I've already told three friends about it. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong, and I was definitely wrong about this one.

People are missing an important point here - depending on your income levels, filing incorrectly might have BENEFITED you tax-wise. "Single" filing status often gives better tax treatment than "married filing separately" which has the worst tax treatment of all filing statuses. If your income was significantly higher than your husband's, you might have actually paid LESS tax by filing single. The IRS is much more likely to come after people who underpaid, not those who overpaid. Of course, you should still fix it, but I wouldn't panic until you know if you actually owe anything. Get a good tax pro to run the numbers both ways before you do anything.

I'm an enrolled agent and see this more often than you'd think. Quick clarification on some earlier comments: the IRS has 3 years to assess additional tax in most cases, but 6 years if you omit more than 25% of your income, and unlimited time if there's fraud. For your situation, it sounds like the open years would be 2021-2023. For the Roth IRA issue, you have until October 15 of the year following the contribution to correct excess contributions without the 6% penalty. Beyond that deadline, you'll face the penalty until corrected. The most important advice: DO NOT contact the IRS directly until you have a plan. Get a qualified professional (EA or CPA) to review everything and develop a strategy. Sometimes a Qualified Amended Return can help reduce penalties. And definitely get a new accountant! The fact that your husband's returns showed MFS while yours showed Single is a major error that should never have happened.