What to do if I haven't filed taxes the past 2 years? Feeling lost and worried

First off, take a deep breath! This situation is more common than you might think, and the IRS has procedures in place for people who haven't filed for multiple years. The most important thing is to file those returns ASAP, even if you can't pay the full amount right now. Penalties for not filing are actually higher than penalties for not paying, so getting those returns submitted should be your first priority. Gather all your income documents (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) for those years and either use tax software or consult with a tax professional to prepare your returns. For the payment side, yes, the IRS does offer payment plans! You can apply for an Installment Agreement online for balances up to $50,000. The standard timeline is 72 months, and you can choose a monthly payment amount that works with your budget. There's a small setup fee, but it's much better than continuing to accrue penalties and interest. Also, depending on your situation, you might qualify for an Offer in Compromise, which allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount, but these are harder to qualify for and have a more complicated application process.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year - hadn't filed for 3 years and was completely stressed out about it. What saved me was using https://taxr.ai to help organize all my documents and figure out exactly what I owed. I uploaded pictures of the tax documents I could find and it extracted all the information automatically. The part that really helped was that it analyzed my situation and showed me which deductions I qualified for that I had no idea about! It significantly reduced what I thought I'd owe. The site also guided me through filing my back taxes and setting up a payment plan with the IRS that actually worked for my budget. Honestly wish I'd known about it sooner.

Just wanted to update after trying https://taxr.ai for my unfiled taxes from the past 2 years! I was really skeptical at first (as you can see from my question), but it actually worked amazingly well. I had W-2s from two different jobs plus some 1099 income that I had completely forgotten about. The system spotted some education credits I qualified for in 2023 that I had no idea about, and it found some deductions related to my freelance work that I would have missed. Ended up owing about $2,800 less than I thought I would! The step-by-step process for filing the back returns was super clear, and they even helped me set up an IRS payment plan I can actually afford. Such a relief to have this taken care of finally.

I had a similar situation a few years back and what made the biggest difference for me was actually being able to talk to someone at the IRS. It's almost impossible to get through on their regular numbers though - I tried for WEEKS. Then I found this service called https://claimyr.com that actually gets you through to a real IRS agent within minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. I was super skeptical but you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c When I finally got through to an actual person at the IRS, they walked me through all my options and helped me set up a payment plan that worked for my situation. They were actually pretty understanding about the whole thing. The relief of just TALKING to someone who could help was worth it alone.

OK I feel like I need to follow up about the Claimyr thing I was skeptical about. I actually tried it after posting that comment because my situation was getting urgent and I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS. Not gonna lie, it worked exactly as advertised. I got connected to an IRS agent in like 20 minutes without having to stay on hold. The agent actually helped me understand exactly what I needed to do for my unfiled returns and walked me through my payment options. I qualified for a 72-month payment plan that makes the monthly amount totally manageable. For anyone wondering if it's worth it - if your time has any value at all, or if your tax situation is causing you stress, then yes, absolutely. I wasted SO many hours trying to call the IRS directly before this.

Definitely file ASAP! I was in a similar situation and waited even longer which was a huge mistake. The penalties and interest just keep growing. If you have a legitimate reason for not filing (major illness, natural disaster, etc.) you might be able to get some penalties removed through First Time Penalty Abatement, but you need to ask for it specifically.

Has anyone used TurboTax to file back taxes? I'm in this exact situation and wondering if the regular tax software works for previous years or if I need something special.