If I filed 2020 and 2022 taxes, is that ok? Or did I need to file 2021?

[goddess-skittles]

I had all the details in TurboTax for my 2021 taxes, I just couldn’t afford to pay what I owed. When I go in TurboTax now I filed my 2022, but can seems to figure out how to file 2021. Is this an issue? I heard you can file every two years.

[DoninGA]

If you are a US citizen or US resident you are required to report your worldwide income each tax year.

To complete and file a 2021 tax return using TurboTax you would need to purchase, download and install on a personal computer one of the 2021 desktop editions from this website - https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/past-years-products/

A 2021 tax return can only be printed and mailed, it cannot be e-filed using TurboTax.

[xmasbaby0]

@goddess-skittles 

 "I heard you can file every two years."

If you do not owe or if you are getting a refund, you have three years to file your tax return, and there is no penalty for filing after the deadline.  However, if you owe tax due, and you miss the filing deadline for that tax year, you are subject to  late filing penalties and interest owed on the amount that was due.

Three years from the filing deadline, you forfeit your refund if you have not yet filed.

The current online program is only for 2022 returns.   Online can be used to prepare and e-file a 2022 return until October 15, 2023.  After that, online preparation and e-filing will close, and you will have to use the CD/download and mail your return.  Returns for any tax year earlier than 2022 can only be prepared using the CD/download on a full PC or Mac, and must be filed by mail.   You have until mid-July 2023 to file a 2019 return, or that refund will be forfeited.

[xmasbaby0]

And....if you owe tax due for tax year 2021, the IRS will bill you for the interest and penalty.  TurboTax will not calculate that.   The IRS will calculate it based on how much you owed, and on when they received your return and your payment of the tax due as shown on line 37 of your Form 1040.

[rjs]

You said you owed tax for 2021, so you must file the 2021 tax return. The sooner you file, the less you will have to pay in penalties and interest.

You also said that you had entered everything in TurboTax for 2021. In that case, you do not have to start over or enter everything again. You can move the 2021 tax return to the CD/Download TurboTax software and file it from there. See the following FAQ for instructions.

How do I finish a prior-year return that I started in TurboTax Online?

Tax returns for past years cannot be e-filed. You will have to print your 2021 tax return, sign it, and file it by mail.