# Filing Back Taxes



## PiperC (5 mo ago)

I'm afraid I'm a member of "the club" now, in that I'm only just understanding now that I should have been filing US taxes every year, even though I've been living in the UK for just over 10 years now. Yikes!

I worked for the first number of years (2013 - 2017), but never usually broke the tax minimum threshold (about £11,000 - £12,000 per year). But since then I've been surviving (because of medical issues) on bits of unemployment here and there and my fiance, who has helped support me the last 3 years. 

I will be able to apply for my Social Security retirement next month (September) and in looking into it, they ask about the previous year taxes on the form and that's when I started realizing that I was supposed to have been doing them all along, even though I had been making very little money.

All this may not seem to complicated and that I should fill out the (it seems many) forms and just send them in. The thing is, the FBAR, which I'd never heard of it before now. My (now ex as of earlier this year) fiance had money (over £10,000) in my account last year (2021) and earlier this year (2022). He is a builder and couldn't handle managing and buying all the materials he needed, so I was allowing him to put money in my account so that I could manage most of the purchasing for him. But I never earned an income (although he did help support me), nor took any of the money for myself.

So now I'm in the uncomfortable position of having to file a 1040, saying I only earned about £2,500 last year (which I did), but also having to file an FBAR that will show that at one point there was £45,000 in my bank account. Even though all that money went out to purchase material for my ex's jobs and any remaining went back to him. 

I obviously don't want it to effect my ability to collect my social security, which kinda has me freaking out right now, since I would imagine that this would create a red flag. Neither do I want to dump him in any trouble if there were any issues. So I'm wondering if anyone has any advice as to whether this is going to be an issue?

Thank you in advance for any assistance!
🙏🙏🙏


----------



## Harry Moles (11 mo ago)

This will not create flags of any colour, red or otherwise. Totally not an issue.

Definitely worth filing for the past year because you'll qualify for $3,200 in stimulus benefits. If you can file online and use a US bank account for direct deposit you'll have a much easier time of it receiving the money. (You can set up a Wise account with a US routing number if you don't have a bank in the US.)


----------



## PiperC (5 mo ago)

Thank you SO much for your reply Harry. I really appreciate you taking the time and making the effort. You've made me feel a lot better already! 🙏😊🙏


----------

