What do I do if I never filed taxes but was supposed to?

Question

So, I got my first job my freshman year in college working at the front desk of my residence hall during the 2003-2004 school year. I made at least $1000 each year for the years 2004, '05 and '06 but I never filed because I didn't think I had to since I made so little - I thought you had to make at least $2000 to *have* to file. Now that I know I owe back taxes what am I supposed to do? I don't have any old W2 forms or anything like that and I don't have any paperwork saying exactly how much I made from '04 and '05. I'm kinda scared because I don't want to get sued by the IRS! Please help. Thank you:).

Answer 1

Please ignore the responses above me; they don't have a CLUE about tax law! If your income for each of those years was in the region of $1,000, there is NO need for you to file a return!

There's a minumum amount that you must earn in order to be required to file a tax return. For 2006 it was $8,450 for a single taxpayer who could not be claimed as a dependent and $5,150 for someone who could be.

For 2005, the amounts were $8,200 and $5,000.

For 2004, the amounts were $7,950 and $4,850.

For 2003, the amounts were $7,800 and $4,750.

If your income from wages was less than these amounts you do NOT have to file a return for those years. I you had any income tax withheld from your pay during those years you should file a return to have those withheld taxes returned to you. It's not too late to file those returns if you have any money coming back. The deadline for 2003 refunds will be April 17, 2007. You have 3 years from the filing deadline to claim any refund due to you.

Answer 2

The appropriate IRS ebook is ebook fifty 4. even if you had an SSN, you had the opportunity of a filing requirement...and this replaced into in accordance to global earnings. on your case, get the SSN and then record 2001-2006 tax returns. 6 years may nicely be adequate to fulfill immigration. Then record the previous years. in case you not in any respect worked in the U. S. and your earnings replaced into lifelike, you may locate that you'll be able to exclude all the earnings making use of form 2555. (basically because the statute for filing not in any respect all started because you probably did not record, you'll exclude the earnings.) If the outcome is $0 earnings, it equates to $0 tax. The IRS has varieties for filing availabe on their information superhighway website for 1980 to contemporary. i do not realize the way you acquire a US passport without the SSN....

Answer 3

If you made around $1000 in those years, on a W-2, you were correct, you weren't required to file, and you wouldn't owe back taxes. If you made 5 or 6 thousand, then that's different.

Answer 4

It's better to approach them than be caught.
In my Country i did a similar thing.
What happened was they set up a payment plan until I had payed the owed tax.

Better that than being caught and going to jail in your country like Al Capone!

Go talk to them and make an arrangement to repay the tax a little bit each pay at a rate that you can afford.

All the best

Answer 5

Don't be so scare, first make sure to know how much you are suposed to make in order to have to file taxes on your state. Second if you have to file this year just file and don't worry about those 1,000 at most states you have to make more than that in order to have to file taxes.

Answer 6

Tax professional can verify (or you can) but as long as a student makes less that 4k (I think) then you aren't taxed upon that income. Let not your heart be troubled.

Answer 7

I'd rather mess with the mafia than the IRS. You should start saving money like crazy, and approach them on your hands and knees.