Willem Veldhuyzen
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Dec 1, 2022** Updated 8-6-2026
Haven’t Filed Your Previous Years Taxes Yet?
Have you not filed your previous years taxes? Don’t worry.
PriorTax can help you file a return for any prior year. You may even e-file your previous 3 years taxes online.
Reach out to our tax service professionals to guide you through how to file the back taxes filing steps.
There can be many reasons as to why someone might not file their taxes.
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Maybe you were unaware that you needed to, maybe you couldn’t afford the tax bill, or perhaps other things in life got in the way.
Whatever the case maybe, it’s important to file back taxes as soon as possible after the deadline has passed.
In some cases, it may be because they owe a tax bill that they can’t afford to pay and need a payment plan.
Key Takeaways
- File back taxes now even without full payment, since IRS payment plans accept affordable monthly arrangements
- Prioritize filing within the three-year refund window before the tax refund is permanently forfeited
- File an original return to replace an IRS Substitute for Return and recover deductions and credits
- E-file prior year returns for the most recent three years; older returns require printing and mailing
- PriorTax specializes in prior-year returns, filing accurately and affordably with transparent pricing and no hidden fees
But skipping out on filing your tax altogether will only make matters worse, as the IRS will charge you interest and penalties for each month you’re late.
So instead of avoiding filing your return, it’s best to contact the IRS and work out a payment plan that you can afford.
What You Should Do If You Didn’t File Last Year’s Taxes
It’s not too late to file your taxes from last year.
You can still and should submit your return as soon as possible.
Keep in mind that you will need all the required documents for the tax year you are filing before you begin. And, if you’re missing some information, the IRS may be able to help.
They maintain records of all returns filed in the past 10 years. You can request a transcript of a previous tax year by filling out Tax Form 4506-T Request for Transcript of Tax Return.
The IRS may file a substitute tax return if you have not filed a tax return.
However, they will not be as concerned with getting all your deductions and credits as you would be. This could result in a smaller refund than you deserve.
You might not get your refund at all.
There’s no punishment for not filing taxes early, but you only have three years from the deadline to submit your return. Otherwise, you could lose your refund entirely.
You also need to ensure your IRS tax forms (and instructions) are correct. Verify that all of your forms are for the year you are filing.
If you must file a prior-year return, the previous years taxes are listed on the main menu by tax year.
In most cases, you may be able to do so retrospectively, as long as you did not file your back taxes return. If you are filing previous taxes just for that tax, you can just file Form 5329.
To file previous years taxes return with back taxes, you need your W-2s or 1099 forms that you received in those tax years to report your income.
Whenever you file previous years taxes returns, you will need any forms showing your income from the previous tax year for which you are filing taxes.
You may have to print out the tax forms and mail them to the address listed on your 1040 instructions for the tax year you are filing.
PriorTax Can Help You File Previous Years Taxes
PriorTax prepares returns for any prior year, going back more than a decade.
For the three most recent tax years, you can e-file directly through our platform.
Returns for tax year 2023 and earlier must be printed and mailed, because the IRS no longer accepts electronic submissions for those years.
Either way, PriorTax walks you through every form, calculates your refund or balance due, and provides the completed return ready to submit
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