Who this is for
However many years it has been, it is fixable.
People stop filing for reasons that have nothing to do with tax: an illness, a business failing, a death in the family, one missed year that made the next one harder to face. The longer the gap, the worse it feels, and the fear of the number keeps people away for years.
The number is usually smaller than the one in your head, and it stops growing the moment the returns are filed. Failure-to-file penalties accrue faster than failure-to-pay penalties — which means filing helps even when you cannot pay yet.
- One missed year, or ten
- People who received an IRS or FTB notice about unfiled returns
- Anyone facing a substitute return the IRS filed on their behalf
- Filers who need past returns for a mortgage or immigration application
- People who stopped filing during a business closure or illness
- Anyone who cannot find their old documents
Quoted before we begin
What to expect
- Transcripts pulled IRS record of your years
- Scope agreed Which years, what it takes
- Returns prepared Oldest year first
- Payment plan discussed If a balance is due
We tell you the full scope before any work starts. No surprises.
What the work covers
How catching up actually works.
We pull your transcripts
IRS wage and income transcripts show what was reported under your number, so missing W‑2s and 1099s are recoverable.
Documents reconstructed
Lost paperwork is normal in these cases. Reconstructing it from transcripts and statements is part of the job.
Every required year filed
Not always all of them — we work out how far back you are genuinely required to go, which is often less than feared.
Substitute returns replaced
If the IRS filed for you, the return it produced claimed no deductions. A real return usually lowers the bill.
Payment options explained
Instalment agreements, and where it applies, a first-time penalty abatement request.
California handled too
The FTB runs its own enforcement and its own collection timeline. Both sides get resolved.
Before your appointment
What to bring for back taxes.
Bring whatever survived. Missing records are the normal starting point here, not a problem you need to solve before calling.
What you have
- Any notices or letters from the IRS or the FTB — bring all of them
- Photo ID and Social Security or ITIN number
- Any W‑2s or 1099s you still have for the missing years
- The last tax return you did file, whichever year that was
What helps but is not required
- Bank statements covering the unfiled years
- Records of self-employment income or business activity
- Mortgage interest and property tax records for those years
- Anything showing dependants you supported at the time
Missing something? Come in anyway. Reconstructing a missing document is ordinary work for us, and it is faster to sort out across a desk than over email.
Common questions
Back taxes, answered.
How many years back do I have to file?
Fewer than most people expect. The IRS generally looks for the last six years to consider someone current, though the specifics depend on your situation and whether a balance is owed. We pull your transcripts and tell you the real answer before starting.
What if I cannot pay what I owe?
File anyway. The penalty for not filing is substantially larger than the penalty for not paying, so filing reduces the damage even with nothing to send. Instalment agreements are routine, and penalty abatement is sometimes available for a first offence.
The IRS already filed a return for me. Is it too late?
No. A substitute return is prepared with no deductions, no credits and the least favourable filing status, so it almost always overstates what is owed. Filing a real return in its place usually reduces the balance, sometimes substantially.
Will I be in trouble for waiting this long?
Coming forward voluntarily is treated very differently from being found. People file late constantly — illness, bereavement, a business collapse. We are not going to lecture you; we are going to sort out the paperwork.
The number is smaller than the silence.
Bring the notices in, or come with nothing at all. We will pull your records and tell you exactly where you stand.