Back taxes help
Back Taxes Help: Resolve Unpaid IRS Tax Debt
Back taxes are unpaid federal or state taxes from prior years. The longer back taxes sit unpaid, the more penalty and interest compound on top of the original balance, and the closer the IRS moves to a wage garnishment or bank levy. We handle back taxes from one year old to twenty years old.
The essentials, at a glance
- Filing comes first
- The IRS approves no payment plan or settlement while required returns are outstanding.
- Where it gets complex
- Under $50,000 the terms are largely standard. Above it the IRS wants a full financial statement, and what counts as an allowable expense sets your payment.
- The collection clock
- Ten years from assessment, after which the balance generally expires.
- If you cannot pay at all
- Currently Not Collectible status pauses collection when documented income does not cover basic living expenses.
Overview
Back taxes help: the essentials.
- Years to file
- Usually the last 6
- Failure-to-file
- 5%/mo, up to 25%
- IRS collects for
- 10 years from assessment
- Order of work
- File first, then settle
Two things accumulate when taxes go unpaid: penalty and interest. The failure-to-file penalty is the bigger of the two, accruing at 5 percent per month up to 25 percent of the unpaid balance. The failure-to-pay penalty is smaller at 0.5 percent per month, but it runs longer because it stops only when the balance is paid in full.
Many of our back taxes cases involve a stack of unfiled returns. The IRS will not negotiate a settlement or installment plan until every required return is filed. We prepare the unfiled back-year returns first, then move into resolution.
How this case usually unfolds
Behind several years · Back taxes
Back-tax cases usually involve a stack of unfiled years and a balance that grew with penalties and interest. We file the missing years first, often replacing IRS-generated Substitute for Returns that overstated the tax, and only then negotiate the balance, because the IRS will not settle until you are compliant.
Sound similar to yours?
No two cases are identical, but patterns repeat. Talk to one of our Enrolled Agents to find out which programs apply to your situation.
Get Free ConsultationWhat are back taxes, and when do you need back taxes help?
Back taxes are any federal income tax, state income tax, payroll tax, or self-employment tax that you owed in a prior year and did not pay. Back taxes also include taxes the IRS assessed against you on a Substitute for Return (SFR) — a return the IRS files for you when you fail to file, usually inflating your tax liability because it assumes no deductions.
If you owe back taxes, the IRS treats the unpaid balance as a collection account. It accrues interest daily and triggers a predictable escalation pattern: notice, second notice, final notice, federal tax lien, then levy or wage garnishment. Each step narrows your options. Acting before a lien is filed leaves the most room to negotiate.
Back taxes do not expire on their own. The IRS has a 10-year collection statute from the date of assessment to collect a balance, but that clock pauses for several things (bankruptcy, pending Offer in Compromise, time abroad). For unfiled years, the IRS can file a Substitute for Return that resets the clock.
Back taxes help: how to file and resolve the balance
Get the full picture
We pull IRS account transcripts for all open years. This tells us what the IRS thinks you owe, what was reported by third parties, and where the IRS may have filed a Substitute for Return on your behalf.
File missing returns
You cannot resolve back taxes while returns are unfiled. We prepare every missing year, often replacing IRS-generated Substitute for Returns that overstate your tax.
Negotiate the balance
Once you are in compliance, we determine the right resolution: installment, partial pay installment, Offer in Compromise, or Currently Not Collectible.
Set up future compliance
We project the next year's tax bill and set up estimated payments so the same problem does not recur.
What a past-due tax obligation costs you
Back taxes start as a single past-due balance. This guide breaks down the failure-to-pay penalty and interest that build on it, and what filing an extension does and does not postpone.
Federal programs
Nine IRS programs. We look through them all.
Most tax debt is resolved through one of these nine programs. Which one fits depends on your numbers, your filing history, and assessment dates.
Client reviews
What clients say about working with us.
5.0 on Google across 383+ verified reviews. A few of them below; read them all on our reviews page.
My IRS tax issues are finally over!! If you need a trustworthy company to take care of back taxes, look these guys up!! Vic was awesome!!
All people that I have worked with have been knowledgeable and helpful. Peter gives me regular updates which are very much appreciated.
Peter explained and walked me through how they wood structure a favorable tax resolution. Peter and his team were able to negotiate an affordable monthly re payment plan for me and keep things on track.
This is a company that knows how to get things done and keeps you informed as progress is made. The team was always avaliable anytime day or night.
They were wonderful they made sure I was comfortable with everything before they even asked me for any information and they figured out the problem extremely quick I highly recommend
If it wasn't for Ivy Fernandez and her professionalism i would have taken my business elsewhere, thank you so much Ivy
Frequently asked
What people ask about Back taxes help.
How many years of back taxes do I have to file?
What happens if I owe back taxes?
Can I settle back taxes for less than I owe?
How far back can the IRS collect back taxes?
What is the 3 year rule for IRS?
What if I cannot afford to pay my back taxes?
How many years will the IRS give you to pay back taxes?
Related services
Cases often touch more than one service.
Many cases start in one category and shift as we understand the numbers. Here are the services this one most often pairs with.
Unfiled tax returns
Unfiled Tax Returns Help
Unfiled tax returns are the most common problem we fix, and the one people are most afraid to face. The good news: filing years of unfiled taxes is almost always better than the alternative. Nothing else with the IRS can move (no payment plan, no settlement, no levy release) until your missing returns are filed. We prepare and file every unfiled year, in the right order, and take the fear out of getting current.
Learn moreTax audit help
IRS Tax Audit Help & Audit Defense
If you received an IRS audit letter, do not panic and do not respond on your own. The first response sets the entire scope of the audit. IRS audit defense by a licensed tax representative keeps the audit narrow, prevents expansion to other years, and protects against the most expensive mistake: saying too much.
Learn moreOffer in Compromise
Tax Settlement Services: IRS Offer in Compromise
Tax settlement services are the work of resolving an IRS balance for less than the full amount, and the Offer in Compromise is the federal program that does it. The IRS accepts a settlement only when it agrees it cannot realistically collect more, so the formulas have to be run before anything is filed. That is the part we do first.
Learn moreNationwide · all 50 states
Back taxes help in all 50 states.
IRS representation is federal, so we handle Back taxes help for clients in all 50 states, remotely from our West Palm Beach headquarters. Florida is our home base, and we keep dedicated local pages for the metros we serve most.
Florida local pages
Straight from the IRS
Everything on this page traces back to these IRS sources. They are what we work from every day.
- IRS: Filing past due tax returns(opens in a new tab)Why filing first is required before any resolution.
- IRS: Get your tax records and transcripts(opens in a new tab)The account record every resolution is built from. We pull and read these on day one.
- IRS: Payment plans and installment agreements(opens in a new tab)Plan types, current setup fees, and who qualifies for each.
- Publication 594: The IRS Collection Process(opens in a new tab)The IRS booklet on what happens after a balance is assessed, and how far collection can go.
Links verified2026-08-26. irs.gov · taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov
Ready to resolve your Back taxes help case?
Free consultation with our team. No obligation.
Prequalification
See if You Qualify for Tax Relief
How much do you owe?