BackYears is an independent referral service. We are not a CPA firm, tax preparer, or law firm, and we are not affiliated with the IRS or any government agency. Tax services are provided by independent licensed professionals.
Guides
Plain-English guides for freelancers and 1099 workers who've fallen behind. General information, with links to IRS.gov.
I haven't filed taxes in 3 years: what now?
A calm, plain-English look at what to do when you haven't filed for a few years, with links to the IRS's own pages.
What's the penalty for filing taxes late?
The IRS charges 5% a month for filing late and 0.5% a month for paying late, each capped at 25%. How they add up, with links to IRS.gov.
What's a substitute for return?
If you don't file, the IRS may file a return for you. Here's what the IRS says a substitute return is and why it can cost you more.
Records you'll need as a freelancer
A plain checklist of the records a tax pro usually asks for when you're catching up on unfiled years, and what to do if some are missing.
How much does a catch-up cost?
How flat-price catch-up filing works in general, what changes the price, and why we only show a partner's price in their own words.
Where should I start?
If you don't know where to begin, read I haven't filed taxes in 3 years: what now? first. It puts the usual first steps in order, whether you're one year behind or six.
If the fear is about money, the late filing penalties guide shows how the IRS works the numbers out, and how much a catch-up costs explains how flat-price help is priced. If you have a letter, a 1099-K or crypto to deal with, the common situations pages go into each one.
Four facts from IRS.gov that come up in every guide
- If you don't file, the IRS may file a substitute return for you (filing past due tax returns(IRS.gov), opens in a new tab).
- If you're owed a refund, you must file within 3 years of the return due date to claim it (same page).
- The penalty for filing late is 5% of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month, up to 25% (failure to file penalty(IRS.gov), opens in a new tab).
- Self-employment income on a return you never file isn't reported to the Social Security Administration, so it doesn't earn Social Security credits (filing past due tax returns(IRS.gov), opens in a new tab).
Every IRS claim in our guides links to the page it comes from, and each guide shows when we last checked it. How we write guides.