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I recommend paying any amount you can afford when you file the return.  The penalty for not paying your taxes depends on the total tax you owe. If you pay some now, the penalty will be smaller later.  Then I would contact the IRS and your state tax office.  They will work with you to plan how to pay the rest of your tax, especially if you're experiencing a serious illness, natural disaster, or other hardship. If you file your taxes before you call, the IRS might give you extra time or offer an installment plan.  Another method is to file Form 9465 (request for an installment plan) with the IRS.     Helpful links: What if I can't pay my taxes? 

Filing your back taxes is definitely important and is time sensitive. While your situation is less complicated because you are due a refund, it is an urgent matter for those who may have an outstanding tax liability. Taking action promptly is essential to avoid loss of refunds and  potential penalties and interest that can accrue in the event of unpaid taxes. Penalties for Not Filing This is the best part of your situation: There is no penalty for failing to file a tax return if the government owes you a refund. The "Failure to File" penalty is a percentage of the taxes you owe. Since you don't owe any taxes and are due a refund, that penalty doesn't apply. However, it's still a good idea to file as soon as you can to get your money. The Refund Deadline While you won't face a penalty, there is a deadline to claim your refund. You have three years from the original due date of the return to file and get your money back. For your 2022 tax return, the deadline was April 15, 2023. You have until April 15, 2026, to file and claim your refund. For your 2021 tax return, the deadline was April 15, 2022. You have until April 15, 2025, to file and claim your refund. If you don't file before that three-year mark, you will  lose the refund for that year. It's a "use it or lose it" situation. Getting the Forms and Filing For the most recent tax year, you can  file online using your TurboTax account. For older years,  go here: File Prior Year Taxes You will have to use the desktop or CD/download version of TurboTax. You will only be able to e-file your 2024 return. You will not be able to e-file and will have to mail them in.  TurboTax will not allow you to prepare a 2020 or earlier tax return on its online platform. You might be able to find and purchase a downloadable desktop version of the software from nationwide retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc., Here's a step-by-step plan: Gather Your Documents: Start by getting all your W-2s, 1099s, and any other income forms for the years you missed. If you don't have them, you can request them from the IRS for free. This is the best way to make sure you have everything you need. IRS Link: Get a free transcript of your tax return Purchase TurboTax Desktop Software: You'll need to buy a separate version of the software for each year you need to file. For example, if you need to file for 2022 and 2023, you would buy both the 2022 and 2023 TurboTax Desktop versions. Complete and Print Your Returns: Work through each tax year one by one. Once you've entered all the information for a given year, print the completed return. Be sure to sign and date it. Mail Your Returns: You must mail each year's return separately to the appropriate IRS address. TurboTax will provide the correct address when you print the return. It’s a good idea to use certified mail with a return receipt so you have proof that the IRS received it. Helpful Links: File Back Taxes  How to do your back taxes  Filing Past Due Tax Returns IRS  Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns you may have and  thank you for attending!  Please have an amazing rest of your day!   **Say "Thanks," by clicking the thumb icon at the bottom of the post. ** Mark the posts that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer."

Yes, our Experts can review your return for accuracy.   There options for taxpayers who are experiencing financial hardship.  The IRS has a number of payment options for tax balances: 1. Installment Agreement.  This is the most common. 2. Payment Plan 3. Request a Temporary Hold on Payments 800-829-1040 4. Offer in Compromise

I'm sorry for your loss. @user17581365864   When entering the information you will indicate for the prior year returns that your spouse is deceased.  You will still file as married filing a joint return.  You want to enter your information first (so you show as the primary tax payer) and then your deceased spouse's information.  In the My Info section TurboTax will ask if the person has passed away.  You must check the box and enter the date of death.  When filing returns by paper method I highly recommend sending certified with return receipt requested to confirm the taxing authority (IRS & State) have received the return.   Print and mail the return: Since prior-year returns cannot be e-filed, you must print the completed return and sign it. Sign the return: Sign in the space designated for the primary taxpayer. In the space designated for your deceased spouse, write "Filing as surviving spouse". Include Form 1310 (if necessary): If you are claiming a refund and are not a court-appointed representative, you should also fill out and include Form 1310, Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer. Write "Deceased" on the form: The IRS also recommends writing "Deceased," your spouse's name, and the date of death across the top of the Form 1040. 

Yes, you can absolutely file your tax return using TurboTax without making a tax payment at the same time.   To file your return without immediate payment, you will navigate to the "File" section of the TurboTax software.  Step 1:  you will first need to pay the fee for the TurboTax program itself. After completing this step, you can move to Step 2 to pay taxes.   Step 2: When prompted for payment of your taxes, look for options such as: "I'll mail a check": This option allows you to send a physical check directly to the IRS. TurboTax will provide a payment voucher with the correct mailing address. "Set up a payment plan": This option is for taxpayers who need to pay off their tax debt over time. TurboTax can guide you through the process of applying for a payment plan with the IRS. Select installment plan option & proceed to Step 3 & complete filing.   Once your return is accepted, then you would go to https://www.irs.gov/payments/payment-plans-installment-agreements and set up the plan with the IRS.   @user17579487691 Thanks for the question!!

Penalties for filing late are based off of the amount that is still owed on the original due date. So if you get a refund each year, the penalty is based off of zero or a negative number and generally there is no penalty. As for receiving a refund, the IRS only allows refund claims for up to three years after the original due date. However, in some instances this limited period can be extended due to federally declared disasters. You can however file missed tax returns for up to 6 years, including the most current year open for filing. This might be done if you want to show "current" with filing, even though some of the years are past the date to receive a refund.    TurboTax can be used to file prior year tax returns, but only the TurboTax Desktop product. https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/past-years-products/ Although older versions may be still available through outside vendors, Intuit only supports three prior years of tax software. The current year (2024) return can be filed using either TurboTax Desktop or TubroTax Online. The three years prior to that (2023, 2022, 2021) can be found using the link above.    As for the forms required, the software will produce the tax forms that need to be filed. These are generated from you inputting your tax information (such as info from a W2, 1099, 1098, etc). If you need to locate those documents, the best place to start is by creating an online IRS account and requesting a Wage and Income Trnascript. 

Filing a business tax return using TurboTax depends on your entity type and your individual needs.   Sole proprietors and single member LLCs without a C or S corp election do not have a separate business tax return to file. They simply include their business income and expenses on their individual income tax return.   If your business is a partnership or S-corp, there is a separate business tax return that needs to be prepared.    You can find pricing for both options here: https://turbotax.intuit.com/small-business-taxes/

It is very likely that the missing 1099-MISC is the reason or part of the reason for the IRS delay in processing your return.  You need to wait for the IRS to either process your return or send you a notice advising you of any discrepancies they found on the return or requesting additional information.     If the IRS processes your return, once it has been processed, you will need to file an amended return to include the 1099-MISC.     If the IRS sends a notice requesting additional information and the situation is resolved in that manner, you would not need to amend your return.   If you did not file a NY return with your original federal/state returns, you may need to file a NY return once the IRS processes your return.   The $589 penalty was likely triggered because the tax software, by default, assumes your income—and therefore your tax liability—is spread evenly across all four quarters. A large conversion in the last week of December would create a significant tax liability for the fourth quarter. If your estimated tax payment for that quarter, paid in January 2025, covered this liability, you should not be penalized.  You would need to amend your return to use Form 2210, "Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts."  On Form 2210 you would select the annualized income installment method which allows you to calculate your required estimated tax payments based on when you actually earned the income.  This will show a much lower income for the first three quarters of 2024 and a significant increase in the fourth quarter due to the Roth conversion.   Regarding the Roth conversion, I would wait until the original return is processed or resolved by the IRS before making any changes.  

Managing back taxes can be difficult especially when there are other financial obligations.  But there are solutions to help balance and some can be used interchangeably.   1. Pay towards the bill when possible. This would have more go towards the principal balance. 2. Increase payroll withholdings so that the 2025 refund goes towards the 2024 bill. 3. Call the IRS to revise the installment amount 800-829-1040 4. Temporarily Delay the Collection Process 5. Submit an Offer in Compromise