Home |IRS Tax Return |
Didn't file IRS taxes for a decade, lived abroad, and had minimal US income. Can I file now without issues?
Didn't file IRS taxes for a decade, lived abroad, and had minimal US income. Can I file now without issues?
Share
Robert James, 20+ years of experience in IRS mattersAnswered on October 07,2023
If you are a US Citizen working abroad you probably still have a filing requirement, even though you may not owe any US income taxes. For example if you are single and made the equivalent of USD $12,950 in 2022 you would have a filing requirement.
The bigger Non-filing issue that can get people in trouble are the FBAR / FATCA filing requirements. If you are a US citizen and have more than USD $10,000 in foreign financial institutions during the year, you have a FBAR requirement.
Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)
FATCA threshold depends on your filing status and where you live.
Summary of FATCA Reporting for U.S. Taxpayers
If you aren't planning on living in the US again, probably the worst thing that could happen is your US passport can get suspended or revoked for delinquent tax debt over a certain amount. I'm not sure how often that happens if you don't have US income.
There's a streamlined compliance procedure you can use to get caught up.
1 views
Related Questions
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .Has anyone had experience with filing an amended return via fileyourtaxes.com that includes an additional amount due, and if so, did the platform process the payment to the IRS directly? I'm confused because the filing status indicates the return was accepted, yet the IRS website suggests sending hard copies of amendments by mail and waiting for manual processing. Should I be concerned about the payment method and timing?
You can select Electronic Funds Withdrawal (EFW) when you file a tax return; you would have had to select ...
1
0
2
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .What should I do in a situation where we filed our taxes jointly using TurboTax, and a third-party company, Value Payment Systems, collected our balance payment, but the IRS has no record of it, despite our bank providing a statement showing the payment to the US Treasury, and Value Payment Systems not responding to calls, especially since we've received a CP14 notice from the IRS?
Anytime you pay taxes with a credit card or debit card it goes through a third-party company, and they ...
1
0
1
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .How long does it typically take for the IRS to refund FICA taxes wrongfully withheld from an F-1 visa holder, and at what point should I consider pursuing legal action against the IRS if the issue is not resolved?
The problem is that a lot of employers don't proactively verify whether you are subject to FICA withholding or ...
1
0
7
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .Can I use Tax return transcripts from IRS as my W2-forms for application of my Tax refund?
Yes, but without the full EIN of the W-2 you cannot e-file the return. If you are using tax ...
1
0
5
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .How can I file an amended IRS return for 2020 to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit, and do I need to enter all the information from my original 2020 return or just file for the credit?
Yes you need the information from the original tax return in order to amend. You can access the transcripts ...
1
0
3
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .I haven't filed a tax return in 10 years. I've been on disability and unable to work. I'd like to straighten it out with IRS. Should I? Where to begin?
You probably do not have a filing requirement, unless you need tax returns to prove your income. Disability (SSDI or ...
1
0
5
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .Should I resend my IRS tax return papers via FedEx or UPS, considering my USPS Certified Mail hasn't been delivered, and it's been over 6 weeks without any information on my refund, or is there a recommended course of action to follow in this situation?
Even if you don't qualify as a US Resident for tax purposes, there are ways to e-file a 1040 ...
1
0
10
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .How does my ex-husband not filing his taxes, especially after our divorce was finalized in 2023, impact my ability to receive my IRS tax return, given that I filed as "married filing separately" for the previous year while we were still married?
You can always call IRS to find out what's going on. Here is a way to reach someone directly at ...
1
0
0
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .As a Canadian citizen living and working in the US, I recently changed my address with the IRS and CRA. I have savings accounts in both countries and some missing tax documents from past years. What should I do next to make sure I'm in good standing with both tax authorities, and where can I find simple guidance to help me through this process?
The easy solution is to hire a CPA or Enrolled Agent to help you with your US taxes. They ...
1
0
0
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .What steps can I take on my own and what should I keep in mind to address my tax situation, given that I fell into a bad mental state a few years ago and may need to seek the assistance of accountants to get back on track, with a focus on resolving potential issues with the IRS and the state of Massachusetts, even though I believe I've received tax refunds in the past?
If you've only worked W-2 jobs then you probably only have to file 2019 - 2022 right now, and ...
1
0
0
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .How can I address my outstanding IRS tax issues for the years 2020 and 2022, considering I had a regular job with taxes withheld in 2020, collected unemployment, and did gig work (DoorDash) in 2022? I'm feeling overwhelmed and don't even have a clear record of the jobs I worked during those years. What steps should I take to start sorting out my tax situation, especially when I have limited knowledge about taxes?
You can probably get help from a free tax preparation program, but you'll need to get your Wage and Income ...
1
0
1
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .Is there any general advice for filing three years' worth of IRS taxes, especially if I anticipate getting a decent refund and don't expect to owe anything? Should I consider hiring a tax attorney, using a tax preparation service like H&R Block, or are there other recommended options for this situation?
You may qualify for free filing through Get Your Refund: GetYourRefund They can still e-file 2020 - 2022 returns this year ...
1
0
0
-
Robert James
20+ years of experience in IRS matters .How long does it typically take to receive tax transcripts after filing for the tax years 2021 and 2022? I've already set up a payment plan, but I need to determine the total amount owed, including any interest or penalties. My returns were electronically accepted last week. Can I print copies of the returns, bring a signed POA, and visit a local IRS office to address these matters?
Going to the local office isn't going to help - you need to wait for the returns to process. ...
1
0
1