Posted on 04/20/2025 4:55:24 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
Tax season can be a bit stressful for many Americans, but for those with unfiled returns or back taxes, the stress levels can be overwhelming. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is one of the most powerful collection agencies in the country and it has considerable power to pursue any unpaid taxes you owe. The agency also has a long memory when it comes to collecting what it's owed.
That said, the IRS can't come after you for your old tax debts indefinitely. Most debts have statutes of limitations that eventually render them uncollectible — and the same is true for your tax debts. The IRS operates under its own set of rules, though, and the timeline for tax collection is more complex than many realize....
The IRS generally has a 10-year statute of limitations for collecting taxes. This period begins on the date of assessment, which typically occurs when you file your return or when the IRS creates a substitute return on your behalf. After this 10-year period expires, the IRS can no longer legally collect that tax debt.....
If you never filed a return for a particular year, though, there is actually no statute of limitations. The IRS can come after you for those unfiled years indefinitely. This makes non-filing a particularly risky route to take. There is also no time limit in cases of fraud or tax evasion. If the IRS can prove fraudulent intent, they can pursue collection regardless of how much time has passed.
Several actions can also extend or "toll" the 10-year collection period, including:
Filing for bankruptcy
Submitting an Offer in Compromise
Requesting a collection due process hearing
Living outside the United States for an extended period
Signing a waiver to extend the collection period
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
That’s how Capone went to jail…
I thought it was seven years.
I think you’re correct. I was audited last year
and the reply letter showed the past 7 year results.
How far back can the IRS claim you owe money?
—
From birth ...
I have also been told seven years.
>>I heard they may go after Paul Revere because he borrowed the horse he rode and never claimed the value of that freebie on any returns...
Clapping! Made my afternoon.
Last time I filed was for fiscal year 2013, I shredded and recycled all of my file in December of 2024. Business accounts, receivables and receipts.
If you file a fraudulent return, the SOL is 7 years. If you just don’t file, it’s 3 years.
Haven’t filed for about 20 years. About 15 years ago, I got two letters from the IRS asking me to sign a contract agreement stating I owed a certain level of tax.
After the second letter, I called. Talked to a young guy and asked him to cite the statute, not an IRS regulation, that required me to pay income taxes; and then I’d be willing to comply. That’s the last I’ve heard from the IRS.
Even after the 10 year statute of limitations has expired, save your tax returns that show you filed. You never can be too careful dealing with a government that wants to collect your money.
The IRS deleted millions of files for the 2021 year and lost cartridges with tax data that were stored by a company that went out of business for earlier years.
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