Didn't file taxes a few years back- what is the IRS going to do to me?

Question

Back around 2000 or 2001, I didn't file a tax return. Bad, I know, but that was also the begining of a tumultous time that saw me moving to several foreign countries, among other things. Other than this problem, I am caught up on my taxes for other years, and this one year that I didn't file, I made very little money (I was only working PT as a college student), under the amount that is even taxable to begin with, so if I'd been smart, I would've gotten money back in the end. I just want to know- if I file them now, what kind of punishment will Uncle Sam have in store for me? I'm pretty scared...

Yes, I was due for a reimbursement and did not owe on account of having made very little year, as I was in college full time.

Answer 1

You would have heard by now if the IRS thought that you owed them. They do not pursue you if they think that they owe you. You won't get in trouble if you are owed a refund.

Personally, I would still file. If are owed a refund, you won't get it but I would still file so the IRS will close that year. There is no Statue of Limitations on an unfiled return.

Answer 2

From the information that you have provided it is most likely that you would have been due a refund in the years that you did not file. Your income may have been below the filing requirements. In either of those circumstances the IRS will do nothing unless some other issue were to arise. For example if the IRS were to examine your 2006 return and discover that you had a 1 mil. dollar refund that you did not know about. They could make you go back and file those missing years before they release the refund. If you want to know what your situation is you can go to an IRS office and get a transcript of every year since you started working(more than ten years is sometimes a problem). With that transcript you can determine what years you filed and those that you did not. Also you will be able to determine what your income was (at least what was reported to the IRS) for those missing years. Knowing what the situation was for those missing years can be a good guide as to what you may wish to do about them. If you do owe for a prior year the statute of limitations for collecting begins when you file. So if you file for 2000 in 2008 you will owe penalty, interest and the original tax with a collection start date in 2008. The reality is that the IRS is not likely to do anything regarding those prior years unless you have an issue in the future.

Answer 3

You most likely would have heard from the IRS by now if you had owed any money. Since you say you earned very little that year and you were a college student, you were probably due a little refund. Unfortunately, you only have three years to claim a refund. So, for tax year 2000, you would have needed to file a tax return before April 15, 2004 in order to get your refund.

If you were due a refund, the IRS will never come after you for that year, so you can stop worrying. However, as Wayne suggested, I recommend that you do file the return anyway so the IRS will close that year in your file.

Good luck,

Answer 4

Did you owe money or were you due for a reimbursement? That makes a totally difference. I didn't file a few years back, but I didn't owe. Then I finally filed and got the money I was due!

Answer 5

If you owed anything, and it appears you don't you would have heard about it by now from IRS. If you have an overpayment, the statute of limitations for getting a refund has expired.

Answer 6

If you made under the limit for that year to have to file, then they aren't going to do anything to you - and if you weren't required to file then, you aren't now for that year, and there wouldn't be any point in filing since it's WAY too late to get your refund.

So relax, and forget about it.

Answer 7

If you were due a refund, then there is no penalty for filing late, except that you will not receive the refund.