Missed filing Form 8606 last year for Backdoor Roth IRA conversion - timing with this year's return?

So I'm freaking out a bit here. Last year I filed my taxes through the IRS free fillable forms system, and I just realized I completely forgot to include Form 8606 for both myself and my husband to document our non-deductible IRA contributions and the Roth conversions we did. The weird thing is, I actually did include the correct amounts on lines 4a and 4b of our 1040 form, so the numbers themselves are accurate. I'm really confused about how to handle this now, especially since I'm about to file this year's return and will need to do another Form 8606 for our backdoor Roth contributions from this year. Do I need to go back and amend last year's return first? Will the IRS flag something if I file this year's Form 8606 without having submitted one last year? We each contributed about $6,500 to traditional IRAs and then converted to Roth. I'm worried we'll get hit with penalties or something if we don't fix this. Has anyone dealt with this situation before?

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18 comments

Giovanni Greco

•8M

This is actually a fairly common oversight, so don't stress too much about it. Since you correctly reported the distribution and taxable amount on lines 4a and 4b of your 1040, the IRS already has the critical information about your Roth conversion. You should still file Form 8606 for last year, but you don't necessarily need to file a full amended return. You can submit a "standalone" Form 8606 for the prior year. Simply complete the form for both you and your spouse (separate forms for each), write "FILED PURSUANT TO REV. PROC. 2013-34" at the top, sign them, and mail them to the IRS. Include a brief cover letter explaining that you're filing Form 8606 that was inadvertently omitted from your original return. As for timing, I'd recommend taking care of this before filing this year's return. This establishes your non-deductible basis properly in chronological order, which will be important for this year's Form 8606 calculations.

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Giovanni Greco

•8M

For most tax form corrections, you would indeed need to file Form 1040-X. However, in this specific case where Form 8606 was omitted but the actual figures on the 1040 were correct, the IRS allows for a standalone submission of Form 8606. Revenue Procedure 2013-34 specifically addresses this situation, allowing taxpayers to file a late Form 8606 without a full amended return when the underlying tax calculations on the 1040 were accurate. The IRS recognizes that Form 8606 is primarily about tracking basis rather than changing tax liability in the current year.

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Dylan Wright

•8M

After I messed up something similar with my backdoor Roth reporting, I found this awesome tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that saved me so much headache. It analyzes your tax documents and flags missing forms or inconsistencies before you submit. Last year I also forgot my 8606 forms and was panicking about how to handle it. The taxr.ai system caught it when I uploaded my draft return, and even guided me through the proper way to submit the missed forms and what to write on them. Would have been completely lost without it since the IRS instructions are so confusing on this specific issue.

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Dylan Wright

•8M

The tool works by having you upload your tax documents (returns, W-2s, 1099s, etc.) through their secure system. They use bank-level encryption, so it's as secure as doing online banking. It then scans everything and checks for inconsistencies or missing forms based on what's in your documents. It doesn't directly connect to IRS systems - it's more like a super-smart reviewer that knows all the tax rules. For Backdoor Roth specifically, it recognized that I had conversion amounts on my 1040 but no corresponding Form 8606 to track the basis. It even explained why the form was important for avoiding double taxation in the future. Their analysis is particularly good with retirement account transactions since they have specialists in that area.

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Sofia Torres

•8M

Just wanted to follow up and say I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here! I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a shot with my situation (similar to the original poster - missed some forms for my retirement accounts last year). The tool actually found two other issues I had no idea about - apparently I'd been calculating my basis wrong for years on some old retirement accounts. It guided me through fixing both this year's return AND how to correct my previous mistakes. Definitely worth it for peace of mind, especially with complicated stuff like backdoor Roth contributions that can get messy fast.

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Dmitry Smirnov

•8M

If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about how to handle this form 8606 situation, check out Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was stuck in a similar situation last year with missed retirement forms and couldn't get through to anyone at the IRS for clarification. Their service got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours on hold. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent I spoke with walked me through exactly how to submit my missing 8606 forms and explained I didn't need a full amendment since my 1040 numbers were correct.

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Dmitry Smirnov

•8M

It uses a technology that essentially waits on hold for you in the IRS phone queue. When you sign up, their system calls the IRS and navigates through all those annoying menu prompts, then waits in the queue. Once they're close to reaching an agent, you get a call letting you know it's almost your turn. There's no magic trick - they're just using smart automation to handle the painful waiting part. You're still talking directly to official IRS agents. The system is particularly helpful for complicated issues like Form 8606 questions that really need a human IRS agent to address properly rather than trying to interpret the vague instructions yourself.

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GalacticGuardian

•8M

Ok I need to eat some humble pie here. After being super skeptical about Claimyr in my earlier comment, I was desperate enough to try it because I've been trying to get IRS clarification about missed retirement forms for weeks with no luck. To my complete shock, I got connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes! The agent confirmed exactly what others here said - I could submit standalone 8606 forms without a full amendment since my 1040 numbers were correct. They even gave me the specific mailing address for my region and what to write on the forms. Seriously never thought I'd get a clear answer on this. I was ready to hire an expensive tax pro just to fix this one issue.

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Miguel Diaz

•8M

Just a quick clarification that might help - the main reason Form 8606 is so important even though your 1040 numbers were correct is that it establishes your "basis" in the IRA. Without it, you risk getting taxed twice on the same money when you eventually take distributions. When you do backdoor Roth contributions yearly, each Form 8606 builds on information from previous years. That's why filing last year's form before doing this year's return is really important - the calculations carry forward.

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Miguel Diaz

•8M

You don't need to wait for confirmation from the IRS before filing this year's return. As long as you've submitted the prior year's Form 8606 before you file this year's return, you're in good shape. When completing this year's Form 8606, you'll use the basis information as if last year's form was properly filed, since you're now correcting that oversight. Just keep copies of everything you send to the IRS, including proof of mailing for the prior year forms. This documentation will be important if there are ever any questions about your IRA basis in the future.

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