What you are dealing with
Most people with unfiled returns are not trying to hide from the IRS. One difficult year became two, records went missing, or the first letter made the whole situation harder to touch. The problem becomes manageable when the years and records are separated into a concrete filing plan.
What the IRS is doing
The IRS says past-due returns should be filed even when the full balance cannot be paid. In some cases the IRS may prepare a proposed assessment from information it has, hold refunds, or move an unpaid assessment into collection. A proposed assessment is not a substitute for preparing an accurate return from the taxpayer's records.
What we do
We determine which federal returns are required, collect the available source documents, obtain transcript data when appropriate, and prepare the missing years in sequence. If the completed returns produce a balance, we then reconcile the collection options. Filing and collection are related, but they are not the same job.
How the written engagement starts
- Tell us the last year you remember filing and attach any IRS nonfiler notices.
- We identify the likely filing years and the records needed for each one.
- We prepare a written scope covering reconstruction, return preparation, and any later resolution work.
- Returns are reviewed and filed through the firm's normal approval process.
What to gather
- IRS notices, especially any CP59 or substitute-return correspondence
- W-2, 1099, K-1, brokerage, mortgage, and business records by year
- Prior filed return and identity information needed to establish continuity
- A written list of states lived or worked in during each missing year
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Frequently Asked Questions
- We can identify what is available through IRS transcript records and what must be reconstructed from banks, employers, payers, or business records. Transcript data is useful, but it does not replace every deduction or basis record.
- The IRS instructs taxpayers to file past-due returns even when they cannot pay in full. Filing compliance is also a threshold for most payment and collection alternatives.
- The IRS may create a proposed assessment using information reported to it, but that is not the same as preparing your accurate return. We review the account before deciding what must be filed or challenged.
- There is no responsible one-size-fits-all answer. The required years depend on the account, notices, income, and current IRS compliance requirements. We determine that from the file rather than guessing on the page.