Falling behind on your tax returns can happen for many reasons. Financial difficulties, major life changes, business problems, confusion about filing requirements, or simply becoming overwhelmed can cause taxpayers to fall behind.

But waiting longer can make the situation more complicated.

ProTax Advantage helps taxpayers understand their filing obligations, address unfiled returns, and develop a strategy for moving forward.

Unfiled returns can create problems beyond the return itself.

Depending on your circumstances, you may face:

• Failure-to-file penalties 
• Accruing interest 
• IRS collection activity 
• Difficulty resolving existing tax debt 
• Problems obtaining financing 
• Increased uncertainty about your tax liability 

Filing your missing returns can be an important step toward understanding what you actually owe and determining what resolution options may be available.

The answer depends on your individual circumstances.

The IRS may have prepared substitute returns for certain years, but those returns may not reflect all deductions, credits, or information available to you.

That's why it's important to review your actual filing history and IRS records rather than simply assuming the IRS balance is correct.

We help identify which tax years may be missing and review available IRS information.

We evaluate your filing history and financial circumstances to determine the appropriate next steps.

We help you address outstanding filing requirements and work toward compliance.

Once your filing situation is addressed, we can evaluate potential strategies for resolving outstanding tax debt.

Filing your returns and paying your tax debt are two separate issues.

You may not be able to pay everything immediately—but that doesn't necessarily mean you should continue avoiding your filing obligations.

Depending on your circumstances, potential resolution options may include:

• Installment Agreements 
• Offer in Compromise 
• Currently Not Collectible status 
• Other applicable IRS collection alternatives 

In many circumstances, taxpayers can address delinquent returns. The appropriate filing strategy depends on the specific years involved and your circumstances.

No. Filing helps establish or clarify your tax liability, but any resulting balance may still need to be resolved.

Generally, waiting can make an already complicated situation more difficult. Getting informed about your options early may provide more opportunities to address the issue.

The first step isn't perfection. It's action.

Contact Tammy Graham, MSA,EA,  to discuss your filing history and determine the next step toward compliance and resolution.