How do you file back taxes?

[cowens79]

I have a W-2 thats a few years old.

[rjs]

You cannot use TurboTax Online to file for a past year. TurboTax Online is only for the current tax year, which is now 2019. To file for an earlier year you have to use the CD or download TurboTax software for the year that you need. You can purchase a download at the following link. There is no free filing for past years.

Past Years' Products

You might get a better price from a reputable online seller that still has TurboTax in stock for the year that you need.

Tax returns for past years cannot be e-filed. You will have to print your past-year tax return, sign it, and file it by mail. The IRS stopped processing mailed tax returns for several months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. They just recently started to process them again, but they have limited staff and a huge backlog, so it will be quite a while before your past-year tax return is processed.

TurboTax no longer supports years earlier than 2016. It's too late to get a refund for 2016 or earlier. You can file the tax return, but if it shows a refund you will not get the refund. If it shows a payment due, you have to pay it.

[5050dog]

do 2017 n 2018 

[PattiF]

It is too late to file a return electronically for those years.  

If you’re due a tax refund (normally April 15th), you must file with the IRS within three years of the original due date. Taxpayers have, however, more time until May 17, 2021, to request a missed refund, as a result of the IRS’s recent extension of the 2017 tax deadline. The deadline to get a refund from 2017 is passed.

You can still file a paper return for 2018. The deadline is April 18, 2022, to mail in your return. Here is a link from TurboTax to help you file for 2018.

[wmb2olb1]

I have recently returned to the workforce, i.e. i am doing books for 1 client (self employed), and I'm going to be working part time for a merchandising company.  I was convinced by my husband to retire in 2016 as I had heart surgery and he wanted to retire.  I am collecting social security and now I will have self employment tax and I will have a regular paycheck from my merchandising.  My question is since I was on social security until now, I have not had to file a yearly return.  Now that I am employed I will need to start filing, do I need to file all those past years?  If not what do I put in the forms when I start filing again?  Social security said I am allowed to make an unlimited amount now that I am 69.  Anything else I should be thinking about?

[VolvoGirl]

@wmb2olb1   Let's back up.  Are you married?  Haven't you been filing a Joint return with your husband?  You should be entering all you income including Social Security into the Joint return.  

[wmb2olb1]

Before we retired I filed jointly.  Since we retired and z tax specialist told me I didnt need to file unless I started making extra income and since I wasnt because until I turned 67 social security limited my earning, i didnt have additional income.  I really wish people would read the full post.  I know you should enter all income in joint but i only had social security

[VolvoGirl]

But did your husband have income?  Did he file a return?  I read your whole posts.  If he filed a Joint return he had to include your Social Security.  If he filed as Married filing Separate then you also have to file Married filing Separate even if you only got Social Security.  

If you each only had Social Security you don't need to file at all.

[wmb2olb1]

When you first enter workforce and you file it asks if you filed the previous year.  In my case I filed from 1973 to 2016.  Now I am reentering the workforce, can I just say I didnt file the previous year or do I need to file all those years because I am reentering

[VolvoGirl]

It only wants to know if you filed 2020 so if you want to transfer from 2020 to start.  

[wmb2olb1]

Let's back up, what is if you only want to transfer from 2020 to start

[Vanessa A]

If you didn't work in 2020, then you do not need to do anything with transferring information. You can start 2021 and just enter all of your personal information.  There is no need to transfer from the past year, it just saves time not having to enter a lot of the same information year over year. 

[rjs]

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@wmb2olb1 wrote:

do I need to file all those years because I am reentering

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@wmb2olb1  You do not have to file for the past years when your only income was Social Security. You can just start with the first year that you have other income.

[CherylLynn09]

Simple form. I'm on disability and didn't realize my grand daughter whom I take care of can be used as deduction.

[CherylLynn09]

2019 2020