Taxes from 2015, 2016, 2017

[Zeek1992]

Was wondering if someone could tell me how to go about filing these transcripts I received in the mail yesterday? Talked to Jackson-Hewitt and they are trying to charge me $400. Considering the fact that they sent me the transcripts without asking  I would assume I owe them. Can someone please help me with this I'm completely lost.

[xmasbaby0]

What exactly are you trying to do?   Are you trying to file late tax returns?   You cannot get a tax refund for any tax year earlier than 2017---any refunds from earlier years have now been forfeited.  But if you owe for any of those years you still need to pay the tax due.  And...by May 17 it will be too late to receive a refund for 2017 so if  you think you can get a refund for 2017 get busy and prepare and file a 2017 return.  

Software is not available here for years earlier than 2017.   Any earlier year tax returns can be prepared by hand using the paper forms.....or as you have already discovered....you can pay to have local tax help to prepare your late returns.  We cannot say if the fee you were quoted is the best "deal" in your area.

What if I do not file my tax return?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2572308-what-happens-if-i-don-t-file-my-taxes

Each tax year has to be filed separately using the forms for the specific tax year.  They cannot be combined in any way--do not even put them in the same envelope when you mail them.  Software for past years is available back to 2017.  Any earlier years can only be prepared on paper forms by hand--and those refunds have been forfeited now.

The current online program can only be used for a 2020 return--no other year.  And if you did not file a 2019 return you will have trouble e-filing 2020.  When it asks for your 2019 AGI try using zero.  If zero does not work then you have to print, sign and mail 2020.

Online preparation and e-filing for 2017, 2018 and 2019 is permanently closed.

To file a return for a prior tax year

 If you need to prepare a return for 2017, 2018, or 2019 you can purchase and download desktop software to do it, then print, sign,  and mail the return(s)

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/past-years-products/

You may also want to explore purchasing the software from various retailers such as Amazon, Costco, Best Buy, Walmart, Sam’s, etc.

Remember to prepare your state return as well—if you live in a state that has a state income tax.

When you mail a tax return, you need to attach any documents showing tax withheld, such as your W-2’s or any 1099’s.  Use a mailing service that will track it, such as UPS or certified mail so you will know the IRS/state received the return.

Federal and state returns must be in separate envelopes and they are mailed to different addresses.  Read the mailing instructions that print with your tax return carefully so you mail them to the right addresses.

Note:  The desktop software you need to prepare the prior year return must be installed/downloaded to a full PC or Mac.  It cannot be used on a mobile device.

If you are getting a refund, there is not a penalty for filing past the deadline.  If you owe taxes, the interest/penalties will be calculated by the IRS based on how much you owe and when they receive your return and payment. The IRS will bill you for this; it will not be calculated by TurboTax.

Refunds for tax years 2016 or earlier have been forfeited and will not be paid to you even if shown on the tax return form.  But if you owe tax due, you will still have to pay, and you will be billed later for the interest and penalties owed.

https://www.irs.gov/filing/where-to-file-paper-tax-returns-with-or-without-a-payment

2015

Form 1040  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040--2015.pdf

Form1040 Instructions  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040gi--2015.pdf

Form1040A  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040a--2015.pdf

Form 1040A Instructions  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040a--2015.pdf

Form 1040EZ   https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040ez--2015.pdf

Form 1040EZ Instructions  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040ez--2015.pdf

2016

Form 1040  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040--2016.pdf

Form 1040 Instructions https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040gi--2016.pdf

Form 1040A https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040a.pdf

Form 1040AInstructions https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040a--2016.pdf

Form1040EZ https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040gi--2016.pdf

 Form 1040EZ Instructions  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040ez.pdf

2017

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040gi--2017.pdfhttps://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040--2017.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040a--2017.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040a--2017.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040ez--2017.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040ez--2017.pdf

2018 Form 1040, Schedules and Instructions

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040--2018.pdf
 https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040gi--2018.pdf
2018 Tax and EIC Tables https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040tt--2018.pdf

IRS 2018 Schedules 1 thru 6 (only if needed)
Sch 1 : https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s1--2018.pdf
Sch 2 : https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s2--2018.pdf
Sch 3 : https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s3--2018.pdf
Sch 4 : https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s4--2018.pdf
Sch 5 : https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s5--2018.pdf
Sch 6 : https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s6--2018.pdf

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Reply

2019

2019 Instructions

 https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040gi--2019.pdf

1040  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040--2019.pdf

1040SR  https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s--2019.pdf

2019 Schedules 1-3

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s1--2019.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s2--2019.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040s3--2019.pdf

[Hal_Al]

You don't file "transcripts".  A transcript is usually a summary of your tax return, you request from the IRS. See sample at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/New_Tax_Return_Transcript.pdf

What did Jackson Hewitt send to you and why.  What are they asking you do do.  Do you mean they are billing you for unpaid tax prep services from previous years?  

Nobody can help you without a clearer picture of what your problem is. Do not post personal info, like SS# and name and address. 

[Zeek1992]

@xmasbaby0  Trust me it wasn't my idea. I called the IRS trying to figure out why my refund and my stimulus were saying they were going to be deposited into an account that wasn't mine and that's when the rep told me that they were needing the tax returns from me for those years I stated above. As you probably already figured out, I literally know nothing about this. I'm just doing what Im asked. It never crossed my mind about getting money back.

[xmasbaby0]

We are unclear on what kind of transcripts you obtained.   There are several kinds of transcripts---including the kind that is a transcript of a tax return that you filed.    Or there is a kind called a Wage and Income transcript which is sometimes used by people who have to file past returns and do not know how to get hold of the W-2's or 1099's that were issued to them in past years.

So you are just trying to figure out what account the IRS used to send a past refund to you and hoped to see it on your transcript?  What kind of transcript(s) did you receive?   Still not sure where a $400 fee  from Jackson Hewitt plays into this.  

[Zeek1992]

@xmasbaby0  I apologize as I stated I'm not very educated in all the tax stuff. I believe it's the wage and income tax transcript. it does have all my previous employers on it. The issue I'm having is A. Trying to figure out how to understand it and B. How to go about filing it. And Jackson hewitt is who the irs suggested I call. Assuming I owe which is the only reason that makes sense of why the rep from irs would request them in the first place. I guess the $400 is if I owe which more than likely I do it would be $400 to help me rectify and work something out with the irs.

[xmasbaby0]

Okay---so you are trying to sort out a way to file past tax returns.   We cannot tell you who to use.  If you need help you should seek a local paid tax preparer--and do not just go to a tax season store front place that might have less experienced people working there.  Seek out a reputable local tax pro to help you.  If you owe, then a good tax pro may help you negotiate with the IRS.

With the information you got from those transcripts you could contact the previous employers and ask them for copies of your old W-2's.   The wage and income transcripts do not have any information about state tax withheld, and you need that to get caught up with your state taxes if you live in a state that has a state income tax.

You might need to phone, drop in, email and/or snail mail an old employer to make sure they know where to send your W-2.

[Zeek1992]

@xmasbaby0  thank you for helping me get up to speed on all this I really do appreciate it. And yes I did notice that it didn't say anything about state tax. But basically looking at all 3 years that they sent, unless I'm missing something the only year I might owe would be for 17. And even then the income for all three came out to like 16,000. To clarify because I never stated this in the beginning, this year is the first year I've filed taxes. Not because I didn't want to it's just circumstances didn't permit. So I guess this is karma coming back to me. But I was under the impression that if I owed the irs back taxes they would've garnished my 2020 federal tax return and my stimulus. Unless I was given wrong information.

[xmasbaby0]

We cannot see your information so we cannot know if you would even owe any tax.   If your income for three years comes out to only a total of $16,000 it is unlikely that you owe-----unless that income came from work you did as an independent contractor.   Was the income reported on W-2's or on 1099Misc forms?   Were you claimed as someone else's dependent for those years?   Without any personal information----give us a few more details.   No Social Security number, names, etc.  

[fanfare]

you may not have to file at all if your yearly income is below the filing threshold.

But the IRS can't know that and it sounds like you woke up a sleeping dog.

If the employer withheld tax but your tax is zero, you want to file to get that money back.

[Zeek1992]

@xmasbaby0  all three were over the table w2 jobs. And as far as I know nobody has or has even been able to claim me in over 10 years. The forms that I received are literally jibberish and honestly don't seem accurate to me but they would apparently know better than I would. Basically 2 jobs that I worked for were in arizona and one was in georgia. But looking at them without even knowing what percentage of tax the irs is taking out every paycheck I can tell I at least owe. $666 taken out of 11,000.

[fanfare]

Example:

the standard deduction is $14,000 so if your total income was $11,000 your tax is zero and the 666 would be refunded to you.

[xmasbaby0]

If you could not be claimed as anyone else's dependent then you did not even have a filing requirement if you made less than these amounts    (the standard deduction amount)    + personal exemption amounts of about $4000 in those past years:

2015    $6300

2016    $6300

2017   $6350

2018   $12,000

2019   $12,200

2020  $12,400

So you only need to worry about filing a return and perhaps owing tax if you made over the standard deduction amount + the personal exemption amount for one or more of those years.   It does not sound like you owe.   What year did you make $11,000 and have over $600 withheld?   If it was 2017 you could still get the refund.   Your return would probably be really easy to prepare on a paper form on a 1040EZ and you could mail it it in for your refund.

[xmasbaby0]

It has been awhile since I even looked at a 2017 form, so had to refresh my memory for that year.   In case the year you made $11K was 2017---here is a form for 2017---you are only taxed on an amount over $10,400 for that year.   And if you had over $600 withheld you can get some of it back. 

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f1040ez--2017.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i1040ez--2017.pdf