# Do I need to file a 2555-EZ for missing claim years?



## Artestani13 (Aug 5, 2012)

So Im a a little panicked at the moment. I only recently realised that I needed to be filing some sort of tax form in the USA. I moved to the UK right after college and never actually filed taxes in the US so I blame by naivety. 

I came to the UK in 2010 on a fiance visa and have been living and working here since. 

In 2010 I worked briefly in the US and then worked in a bar in the last couple months in the UK.

I have not been working or taking any income in the US since 2010, but I do have a small amount of savings in 2 bank accounts. In 2014 I opened an investment account as well.

In the UK I have been working regularly, as well as staring my own LLC in 2014 (but not taking any dividends from it).

I have read ALOT in the past day about every different form and penalty as Im very worried 4+ years without filing will result in a huge fine.


At this point Im totally lost and confused. HELP!


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Relax, don't panic. Take your time and do some research. You will not owe any money, and you will not be fined. Unless you're some sort of major tax criminal, penalties are pretty much theoretical at this point.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Not to worry. You're FAR from the first person to find themselves in the situation. And, in fact, they even have a "Streamlined Compliance Procedure" for you if you choose to go that route. Start here: Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures Then click on the link on the left side of the page that pertains to US taxpayers residing outside the US.

Frankly, if you are living permanently in the UK, you should only have to file 2011 to 2013 (as your back filings) and the current year (i.e. 2014) to get square. If you owe FBAR filings (i.e. the report of your overseas bank accounts - but only if those exceed $10,000 in total) you have to file 6 years back. (At least for the years that you meet the filing requirements.)

However, it's highly unlikely you'll run into problems if you don't owe any taxes. Lots of folks have been ignorant of the requirements and there's little or no evidence that that IRS has time to bother with them unless the amount of back taxes due is something "substantial." Penalties are a percentage of the taxes due, so if you owe nothing, the penalties are nothing.
Cheers,
Bev


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