What if I forgot to file my taxes but I would only be getting refunds, not owing?

Question

I only needed to fill out a 1040EZ, nothing too serious.

Will the government still penalize you in some way if you don't file for your refunds after 3 years?

Answer 1

There is no penalty for filing late if the government owe you a refund. However you only have three years from the due date of the refund to collect the refund. The form (such as1040EZ) would be the same as you would have used prior to the due date. You have until Oct. 15 to e-file if you have that option available.

Answer 2

File it as soon as possible.

Since you have refunds coming, you'll still get them for tax years 2004 and later, and not be penalized for not filing on time. Refunds from 2003 or earlier are lost - you're too late for those.

Answer 3

Forgot, huh? Contact your local IRS office as soon as possible. The longer you wait the more penalties you will have to pay. Don't be afraid of the IRS. They are not the ogres you hear about on TV or in the press.

We have owed a huge amount of back taxes. The IRA has been understanding and helped us set up a plan to pay the taxes, which we will probably never pay off entirely because of our age.

The IRS is mainly interested in chronic non-payers and high end incomes of people who they have good evidence that they are cheating.

Good luck!

Answer 4

they you should file your back taxes and get the refunds.
because you can only go back so many years. there's no penalty for filing late if you are getting a refund.

Answer 5

You can go back and file for the past three years. You just need all your w-2s and all that, then either do it yourself or go to a place to get it done.