# Backfiling - Aughh!



## superlori (Apr 23, 2012)

Please forgive me if this has already been discussed, as I'm sure it has, but what a minefield trying to sort through all this!!

Here's my main question, feel free to direct me to a previous thread if it's already been discussed.

This past tax year is the first year in about five years that I have had an income to speak of. (I am self-employed and last year -2011- was the first year I've made any kind of profit.) 

I have just filed for 2011 (forms 1040 and 2555) as I had a significant enough income (though put through as Foreign Income Exclusion so no US taxes due.) What I would like to know is, is it worth backfiling for the past couple of years as well? I am only bothering with backfiling at all, because we are planning on moving back to the US next year. By then I will have filed 2012 tax return too.

So:
Do I really need to backfile the last two or three years or so as well? Just really not keen on paying the $22 per year to back file! But of course, I will if I must. 

I'm just kinda hoping starting now will be good enough... :/


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Technically speaking, there is no need to file if you haven't had income at least equal to the filing threshold. However, when it comes time to "prove" to the gumment that you are up to date on your taxes, it's far easier to be able to point to filings for the past few years than to argue the point about whether or not you fall under the filing threshold.

You shouldn't have to pay $22 to back file a return indicating little or no income and no taxes due. Just print off the forms and mail them in, even if you indicate $0 income on a couple of the lines, and $0 taxes due in the appropriate spaces.
Cheers,
Bev


----------



## superlori (Apr 23, 2012)

Bevdeforges said:


> Technically speaking, there is no need to file if you haven't had income at least equal to the filing threshold. However, when it comes time to "prove" to the gumment that you are up to date on your taxes, it's far easier to be able to point to filings for the past few years than to argue the point about whether or not you fall under the filing threshold.
> 
> You shouldn't have to pay $22 to back file a return indicating little or no income and no taxes due. Just print off the forms and mail them in, even if you indicate $0 income on a couple of the lines, and $0 taxes due in the appropriate spaces.
> Cheers,
> Bev


Thanks, Bev. Where can I get the forms? I guess I'm not looking in the right place if it's claiming I need to pay $22 to get the past years' forms!


----------



## byline (Dec 5, 2011)

superlori said:


> Thanks, Bev. Where can I get the forms? I guess I'm not looking in the right place if it's claiming I need to pay $22 to get the past years' forms!


You should be able to download any previous years' forms you need by going to this link: Prior Year Products


----------



## barribr (Jun 2, 2012)

I agree with the advice given here. The only addition is that you may want to file those back tax years if you had business losses that you will be able to offset against future income. Depending on future profits (hopefully there are some) then you could generate future tax savings by offsetting income against those carry forward losses.

It may not be worth the time, but I thought you should at least consider if the benefit is worth some additional time for you.


----------

