What does it mean to owe back taxes to the IRS?

Back taxes are any amount that you still owe the IRS for income tax assessments in previous tax years. These may have been incurred due to underpayment of taxes. If you did not file a return, the IRS may have filed a substitute return on your behalf.

Why did the IRS Send Me a different check?

Sooner or later the IRS will send you a letter detailing why they sent you an amount different from the one you were expecting. Don’t ask me why they don’t send the letter with the check.

When does the IRS send you a bill?

Publication 594 The IRS Collection Process Overview: Filing a tax return, billing, and collection After you file your tax return and/or a final decision is made establishing your correct tax, we record the amount in our records. If you owe, we will send a bill for the amount due, including any penalties and interest.

What does it mean when the IRS has a different view of your tax return?

It means the IRS has a different view about your tax return than you do and that requires your immediate attention my friend. The last people you want to be at odds with are those who work for the IRS. So forget about the money for the time being.

What happens if your tax return is past due?

Any tax refunds will be lost if the return is not filed within 3 years of the return due date. This can lead to a substantial loss of money. In addition, tax refunds are held by the IRS if they see that one or more tax returns are past due.

Can a tax refund be taken out of back taxes?

Back taxes is a slang term for federal, state or local taxes you owe from prior years. The IRS has much more power to collect a debt from you than a normal debt collector does. Even if you file for bankruptcy, only under limited circumstances can you include tax debt. The IRS takes the money you owe for taxes from prior years out of your refund.

Can You claim a prior year tax refund?

For prior year returns, you can only claim refunds up to tax year 2014. You cannot claim any refunds from the 2013 tax year and years prior to this since the statute of limitations for the IRS are three years from due date of your return. In order to track your prior year refund, you will need to contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040.