My mom hasn't filed taxes since 2020 - how can she get current with the IRS?

Your mom is definitely not alone in this situation! The good news is that if she's primarily living on Social Security and a small pension, she might not even have needed to file for some or all of those years. First, check if she was required to file for those years. For 2023, single filers 65+ don't need to file if their gross income was under $14,700. For 2022, it was $14,250, and 2021 was $14,050. If her Social Security, pension, and interest total less than these amounts (after accounting for the fact that only a portion of Social Security is typically taxable), she might not have a filing requirement. If she does need to file, don't panic! The IRS generally wants to work with people to get compliant. Start with the most recent year (2023) and work backward. You can still e-file 2021-2023 returns, which is faster than paper filing. Gather her income documents for each year - Social Security statements (SSA-1099), pension statements (likely 1099-R), and interest statements (1099-INT). Since her situation sounds straightforward, you could help her use tax software, but if you're uncertain or want peace of mind, a tax professional experienced with unfiled returns might be worth the investment. They can also help determine if she qualifies for any relief programs. Remember, if she's due refunds, there are no penalties for filing late! She can still claim refunds for up to three years after the original due date.

I went through something similar with my aunt last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was a huge help. It analyzed all her old tax documents and IRS notices, then organized everything by year and showed exactly what she needed to file. The best part was uploading those scary IRS letters she'd been ignoring - it translated the notice codes and explained what each one meant in plain English. Turns out most were just automated reminders rather than actual collection threats. The system also identified which years she actually needed to file for and which ones she didn't based on her income types. For someone overwhelmed by multiple years of unfiled taxes, it really helps to have everything organized clearly before you start the actual filing process.

I wanted to follow up about my skeptical comment on taxr.ai. I decided to try it for my mom's situation (3 years unfiled too), and I was actually impressed. The transcript from the IRS was confusing with all these codes, but the tool explained each section and showed that two of the years she actually didn't need to file at all based on her income sources. It found a refund she was owed for 2021 that we nearly missed the deadline to claim. Not what I expected but definitely made the whole process less stressful for both of us. The document analysis saved us a lot of guesswork.

If your mom's been getting IRS notices for a while, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually get through to an IRS agent. I spent WEEKS trying to call the IRS about my dad's unfiled returns and kept hitting automated systems or disconnects after hours on hold. Claimyr got me connected with an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes, and they were able to put a temporary hold on further notices while we got his returns filed. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Having a direct conversation with the IRS made a huge difference - the agent explained exactly which returns they were looking for and confirmed the timeframes we had for filing without additional penalties. Way better than guessing based on those vague form letters.

OK I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it for my mother-in-law's tax situation. I've been helping her deal with unfiled returns from when my father-in-law passed away, and we kept getting nowhere with the IRS. The service actually worked exactly as advertised. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks with no success. The agent was able to pull up her file, explain exactly what returns were still needed, and even put a temporary hold on collections while we get everything submitted. Turns out some of the notices were for years that didn't even need filing based on her income level. Would have saved so much stress if we'd done this months ago instead of playing mail tag with generic IRS notices. Sometimes you have to admit when you're wrong.

Just want to add - make sure your mom files her 2023 return ASAP if she hasn't already! The deadline was April 15th (or October 15th with an extension). I work at a volunteer tax clinic, and we see so many seniors who could have gotten partial refunds if they filed on time. If she's owed money, she has 3 years to claim it, but if she owes the IRS, the penalties keep adding up. The good news is if she's mostly on Social Security, there's a good chance she doesn't owe anything. Also, check if your state has different filing requirements - sometimes people don't need to file federal but still need to file state returns.

Another thing to consider - if your mom owns her home, she might be eligible for property tax relief or homestead credits in many states. These often require filing a state tax return even when federal filing isn't required. Also, has she been paying estimated taxes during these unfiled years? If not, and she does end up owing, you might want to look into the IRS Fresh Start program which can help with penalties.

I'm going through something very similar with my grandmother right now, so I completely understand the stress and worry you're feeling! One thing that really helped us was getting organized first before diving into the actual filing process. Here's what we did: First, we gathered all her income documents for each year (SSA-1099s, 1099-Rs, 1099-INTs, etc.) and made separate folders for 2021, 2022, and 2023. Then we collected all those IRS notices and sorted them by date to see what they were actually asking for. The biggest relief was discovering that many of the "scary" notices were just automated reminders, not actual threats. Some were even for years she didn't need to file at all! Since your mom's income situation sounds relatively straightforward (Social Security + pension + small interest), this might be manageable to tackle together. But honestly, given that she's been getting IRS correspondence for a while, it might be worth the peace of mind to consult with a tax professional who specializes in unfiled returns. They can quickly determine which years actually require filing and help navigate any correspondence with the IRS. The most important thing is that you're helping her address this now - ignoring it only makes things more complicated. You're being a great child by stepping in to help sort this out!