- 1). Go to Prior Tax or File Late (see links in References). Both websites are designed to allow you to file back taxes. Prior Tax allows filings up to four years prior to the current year, while File Late allows back filings up to six years.
- 2). Click "Get Started" and create an account. You must have an account to file back taxes with either Prior Tax or File Late. You will be asked to choose a username, password and enter your email address for contact purposes.
- 3). Try it for free. Both Prior Tax and File Late allow you to go through the process of entering all the necessary tax information. You will need any W-2s from the year for which you will be filing tax your tax return.
- 4). Fill out the online tax form or forms. Detailed instructions will be available with the forms. Tax forms will request your total income and the amount of taxes you paid in while working for each employer. You will also list any deductions. Common deductions include tuition payments, IRA contributions and business expenses. You should only deduct expenses for which you have receipts or some other proof of payment. You will subtract these deductions from your income to get your "Adjusted Gross Income." If you have all of your W-2s and receipts on hand, the entire process should take less than 10 minutes.
- 5). Pay the fee and submit your form or forms. If you are satisfied with the process on Prior Tax or File Late, submit your forms directly through the website. At this point, you will be asked to pay the fee involved with filing the back taxes online. The fee depends on whether you need to file just federal taxes, just state taxes or both federal and state taxes. A credit card will be required to make this payment. Once you have paid the fee and submitted your tax form, it may take a few to a few weeks to get a response to your return from the government.
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