My spouse didn't file taxes last year... what to do now?
Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a jam. My husband completely forgot to file his taxes last year (2023 tax year). We just realized this while getting organized for this year's taxes and now I'm freaking out a little. Is it too late to submit last year's return? Should we file them now or just move on? And I'm really worried about how this will affect our current tax filing for 2024. Will there be huge penalties? Can we even file this year's taxes properly if last year's weren't done? We usually get refunds but I'm worried this might mess everything up. Any advice would be super appreciated!
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Lukas Fitzgerald
You should definitely file last year's tax return as soon as possible! The IRS doesn't have a time limit for filing returns when you're owed a refund, but if you owe taxes, penalties and interest are accruing. This is called a "late filing" and it's actually quite common. For the previous year's taxes, you'll need to complete the forms for that specific tax year (2023) - you can't use current year forms. You'll need to mail in a paper return since e-filing is typically only available for the current tax year. The IRS will process the late return and either issue any refund owed or bill for taxes due plus penalties. As for this year's taxes, you can absolutely still file them on time. The two filings are separate, though if you owed money last year and haven't paid, your refund this year could be applied to that balance.
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Ev Luca
•Thanks for this info! I'm wondering though, what kind of penalties are we talking about if my spouse did owe money? Is there a flat fee or is it a percentage thing that keeps growing??
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•The penalties for filing late when you owe taxes include both a failure-to-file penalty and interest. The failure-to-file penalty is usually 5% of the unpaid tax amount for each month or partial month the return is late, up to a maximum of 25%. There's also interest that accrues on the unpaid amount, which compounds daily at the federal short-term rate plus 3%. If your spouse is typically due a refund, there's actually no penalty for filing late (other than delaying getting your own money back). The IRS is much more concerned about collecting taxes owed rather than punishing people who are owed money.
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Avery Davis
I was in a similar situation last year! I totally forgot to file my 2022 taxes and panicked when I realized it in 2023. I used https://taxr.ai to help me sort everything out - they have this really cool feature where you can upload your tax documents from previous years and they'll tell you exactly what you need to do. The system analyzed my W-2s and 1099s from the previous year and gave me step-by-step instructions on how to file my late return. It even helped determine if I was likely to owe penalties or get a refund before I went through the whole process. Super helpful when you're trying to catch up on past tax years!
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Collins Angel
•Did it actually work with prior year tax returns? I thought most tax software only does current year stuff. Did you still have to mail in the forms or could you e-file the late return?
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Marcelle Drum
•I'm a bit skeptical about these online tools... How does it handle more complicated situations? Like if someone had investment income or self-employment stuff from last year?
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Avery Davis
•It definitely worked for my prior year return! You're right that most regular tax software limits you to the current year, but taxr.ai specifically helped me prepare the right forms for the previous tax year. I did have to print and mail the completed return since e-filing is closed for prior years. As for complicated situations, it handled my 1099 freelance income without issues. The system is actually designed to work with complex tax scenarios - it recognized my investment documents and rental property information too. It's pretty comprehensive and asks follow-up questions based on what it detects in your uploaded documents.
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Collins Angel
Just wanted to follow up - I ended up trying taxr.ai after my earlier question and wow! It was exactly what I needed. Had a situation with unfiled 2022 taxes and multiple W-2s from different states. The system actually identified a tax credit I didn't know I qualified for on my late return. The step-by-step guidance made it super clear what forms I needed and how to submit everything properly. I was expecting a nightmare but got everything sorted in about an hour. If anyone else is dealing with unfiled taxes from previous years, definitely check it out. Saved me tons of stress!
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Tate Jensen
If your spouse needs to talk with the IRS about the unfiled return (which might be necessary depending on your situation), good luck getting through to them! I spent HOURS on hold trying to ask questions about my late filing. I eventually used https://claimyr.com and it was a game-changer. They held my place in the IRS phone queue and called me when an agent was about to answer. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically saved me from the endless "your call is important to us" loop. The IRS agent I spoke with gave me specific instructions for my situation that weren't clear from the general guidance online. Made a huge difference in getting everything sorted out correctly.
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Adaline Wong
•How exactly does this service work? Seems weird that they can somehow get you through the IRS phone system faster than just calling yourself...
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Gabriel Ruiz
•This sounds like a scam tbh. No way someone can "hold your place" in an IRS queue. They probably just connect you to some fake "agent" who tries to get your personal info.
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Tate Jensen
•The service works by using automated technology that stays on hold with the IRS so you don't have to. They basically call the IRS, navigate the phone tree, wait on hold, and then when a human agent is about to come on the line, they call you and connect you directly. You're actually talking to the real IRS, not some third party. I was skeptical at first too. But they're not connecting you to fake agents - they just handle the hold time for you. When you get connected, you're definitely talking to an actual IRS employee who verifies your identity and everything. It's just a way to avoid sitting by your phone for hours waiting. The IRS has no problem with it because you're still going through their normal verification process.
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Gabriel Ruiz
I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr! After calling BS in my earlier comment, I decided to test it myself since I also had an unfiled return situation. I was SURE it was going to be a scam... but it actually worked exactly as described. Got a call back in about 70 minutes (after the app showed my position in line the whole time), and was connected directly to an IRS representative who helped sort out my unfiled return questions. The agent confirmed I needed to file Form 9465 with my late return to set up a payment plan since I owed a decent amount. Saved me from making a mistake that would have further delayed processing.
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Misterclamation Skyblue
One important thing nobody's mentioned yet - if your husband was OWED a refund for last year, he has 3 years from the original due date to still claim it. So for 2023 taxes (that were due April 2024), he has until April 2027 to file and still get any refund owed. BUT if he OWES money, there's no deadline for the IRS to collect, and penalties/interest keep accumulating. So either way, best to file ASAP.
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Nadia Zaldivar
•Thank you so much for this info! We're pretty sure he's owed a refund since he always has extra withholding, but I wasn't aware of the 3-year window. That's a huge relief to know we haven't completely missed out! Do you know if we need to do anything special on this year's forms to indicate that last year's return is being filed late?
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Misterclamation Skyblue
•You don't need to indicate anything special on this year's tax return about filing last year's late. Each tax year is treated separately, so you'll file the 2023 return (late) and the 2024 return (on time) as two completely independent filings. Just make sure you're using the correct tax forms for each year - you need 2023 forms for last year's taxes, not the current 2024 forms. And remember that the prior year return will need to be mailed since e-filing is closed for 2023 now.
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Peyton Clarke
Something else to consider - was your hubby required to file last year? If his income was below the filing threshold, he might not have actually been required to file at all. For 2023, a single person under 65 didn't need to file if income was under $13,850. Different thresholds apply based on filing status (married, head of household, etc).
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Vince Eh
•This is super important! My brother thought he was in trouble for not filing but it turned out his income was below the threshold so he wasn't even required to. Saved him tons of stress!
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Sophia Gabriel
When you file the late return, make sure you write the tax year (2023) clearly on the top of the form! The IRS processes millions of returns and you want to make sure they apply it to the correct tax year. Also, if he does owe money and can't pay it all at once, you can request an installment agreement by filing Form 9465 with the late return. This lets you make monthly payments instead of paying the full amount immediately. Don't wait any longer to file though - the longer you wait, the more complicated it gets!
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