Non-Filer? Make it Right With the IRS

If you have not been filing your tax returns for quite some time, chances are, you are have been harassed by the IRS now. You may have been receiving notices imploring you to settle your taxes. Non-filing of taxes can result to penalties, fines and even jail time, among others. Therefore, before matters get worse, it's best that you set things right. You may ask: what will become of me when I have obviously broken the law? This eventually puts you in a complex position.

Filing the un-filed tax returns is the first step to setting your records with the IRS straight. This should be done even if you are not financially stable to pay for all the penalties, fees and other charges. You must also immediately file your tax returns even if you are due to a refund. Otherwise, this benefit will be lost if you do not attend to this matter right away.

Depending on your specific circumstance, consequences for not filing your taxes may vary. If you're a non-filer, cleaning up your tax records will make the IRS stop enforcing their collection procedures on you. In fact, many people who haven't filed tax returns don't really owe the IRS anything. They simply did not file because they did not have the time or didn't have the needed background. Now, they are facing a big IRS problem.

When you've decided to finally file for your tax returns, you might want to seek professional advise. He/She can certainly help you out as you go through the process of filing and as you face present and subsequent IRS problems. Surely, his/her experience in the field will allow him/her to provide you with good advice regarding IRS guidelines.

In meeting with your tax professional, be sure to bring as much information as you can. Leave it to him/her to decide on which documents are and are not required. You must bring all of your W-2 forms, 1099's, receipts or supporting documents for certain expenses, social security numbers of your dependents and a copy of the last tax return that you have filed with the IRS. Your tax accountant should have full access to all of these. The more information he/she has, the easier and more comprehensive will be his/her task of reconciling your tax record.

The two main benefits of filing your past tax returns as soon as possible deal with refunds and Social Security. To receive a refund, you must file the corresponding taxes within three years. Beyond this, your right to receiving the refund will be forfeited. Essentially, this can be likened to giving away your money to the IRS. If you've failed to file a tax return and are self employed, then you will not receive credits that will be carried over to your Social Security retirement or disability benefits. Since you were self-employed and did not file your taxes, the IRS will be unable to report your income to Social Security, and as such, you will not be given credit.

Darrin T. Mish is a Nationally recognized Attorney whose practice focuses on representing clients across the United States with IRS Problems. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbel and is a member of the American Society of IRS Problem Solvers and the Tax Freedom Institute. He has been honored by a listing in Martindale-Hubbel's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. His passion is providing IRS help to taxpayers with both individual and payroll tax problems. He teaches attorneys, CPAs and Enrolled Agents in the finer aspects of IRS representation all around the United States. He can be reached at his website at http://www.getIRShelp.com