What if I haven’t filed my past due income tax returns?

First, know that you are not alone and this problem can be resolved pretty easily. You should make every attempt to comply with the filing requirement, especially if you have been receiving notices from the IRS or the Ohio Department of Revenue.

Filing income tax is important for so many reasons, including:

• If you owe taxes, the IRS will impose a failure to file penalty, along with interest on the taxes you have not paid. The longer you wait to file, the more your penalty will be.
• If you have a professional license, it could be revoked until you file your returns and pay the tax owed. This could affect your ability to earn income and pay your taxes.
• If a tax refund is due to you, you will not receive it. The only way to receive your refund is to file a return within three years of the original filing date. After that, the IRS is not required to pay you your refund.
• The time limit for the IRS to audit you and collect outstanding taxes does not begin to run until you file your return. Generally the IRS has three years to audit your returns and 10 years to collect the taxes. If you do not file, the clock never starts.