Owing the IRS or your state taxing agency additional taxes is never anyone’s cup of tea – so when you discover you owe back taxes, what should your next steps be? First, let’s talk about what back taxes actually are. Back taxes are defined as taxes that were not paid in the year they were due. Penalties and interest may also get tacked onto back taxes the longer they remain unpaid.
So how do you know if you owe back taxes?
Typically, you should know upon filing whether you will owe taxes for that income tax year. However, if the return was filed incorrectly (or not filed at all), your taxing agency will mail you a notice informing you of additional tax that may be due. These notices explain why they believe you owe the tax and what your next steps should be. Some of them may ask for additional documentation – or may simply request payment.
In either case, if you have an Audit Defense membership with TaxAudit, you should contact us immediately upon the receipt of such a notice. We will assign you to one of our world-class tax professionals who will review the notice – along with your tax return – and determine whether the notice is correct.
If the notice is incorrect, your tax professional will work with you to supply the appropriate documentation to the taxing agency to defend your case. If the notice is correct, we will advise you on the steps you will need to take to make payments to the taxing agency. In some cases, we may also refer you to our Tax Debt Relief team who can help you determine if you qualify for any of the IRS or state tax debt relief programs, or advise you on a personalized program to resolve your tax debt. (Note: these services are not included in your Audit Defense Membership.)
Ultimately, our goal is to always make sure you never pay the IRS or any state taxing agency more than you rightfully owe. If you would like to make sure you have audit defense prior to receiving an IRS or state notice regarding back taxes, you can purchase memberships for your previously filed tax returns today by visiting our website or contacting our Customer Service team at 800.922.8348. We are here to help you!