How Far Back Can You File Taxes?
If you’ve fallen behind on filing your taxes, you’re not alone. There are a multitude of reasons that people get behind on taxes, from family emergencies to mental health crises to natural disasters. This can turn a difficult situation into an even bigger source of stress, but fixing the problem might not be as bad as you think.
You can file back taxes for any year, no matter how far in the past. However, in order to be considered “in good standing” with the IRS, you only need to have filed your federal income tax return for the previous six years. Unfortunately, if you are owed a tax refund, the IRS will only pay you up to three years past the due date.
One of the biggest challenges of filing back taxes is finding the right tax documents to show your income, deductions, and tax credits. Hiring professional tax preparation services, such as S.H. Block, can help you rebuild your financial history and get those past due tax returns properly filed.