Well the IRS got me
🧐 Research Wanted 🤔
The IRS reached out on prior tax years. How do I fight this? They are giving me 30 days to file a few past years. I am a disabled vet with low income. I also don't agree how the snakes represent me in Washington and don't agree with this whole system they have us under.
If there is no taxable income there is no need to file - Social Security under a certain threshold for example. Retirements can be taxable, but if it is very low income level you might even get a tax credit. Disability retirements you would have to check.
Ignoring them is not an option. With no input they will assess what they think you owe based on what they have. It takes them forever to assess and by the time they send you the notice you could be in the hole for thousands in interest and penalties for only owing a couple hundred of dollars in original tax debt.
I know that tax revolts are making the rounds again. Every so many years this movement gains traction again and people don't file. They have all the power and we don't - so until the IRS is abolished, anyone that doesn't play by their rules gets screwed. It sounds like you need to file the returns for the years in question and hope you didn't actually owe anything beyond a penalty for non filling. Otherwise you could continue to ride it out as long as there is nothing for them to levy. I think they have 3 years to assess a no file return from the date the tax was due. If they do not assess in 3 years, which it sounds like that is what they did, it is dead in the water. After they assess they have 10 years to collect from the assessment date. Once the 10 years is up they have to drop the collections. That is a long time to try and outrun them. It used to be 6 years for collection but they increased it because there were too many people trying to outrun them. You could also negotiate if you are in a hardship situation and can't pay it.
So find out where you stand and decide what to do from there. If all you get as far as income is disability or social security it should be easy. If you have a more complicated return that needs to be itemized, now you are in some difficulty. All the tax forms are available online for the tax years in question. I would start there. If you are low income enough you may even be due a earned income credit that would offset the late filling penalty. You could break even or owe very little. Good luck.