Tackle the unfiled tax returns
By Cathy Moran, California Bankruptcy Lawyer on Jun 15, 2008 in General Bankruptcy Information, Tax Issues In Bankruptcy
People in money trouble too often put off filing tax returns, which is a problem if they want a fresh start through bankruptcy. Taxes for which no returns have been filed are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. In Chapter 13, the debtor is required to get all unfiled returns on file before the plan can be confirmed.
I stumbled on a resource for a part of the problem of filing those old returns: the forms for those years gone by. UncleFed’s Tax Board has the forms for back years.
The other half of the logistical problem is finding the records of one’s income. The IRS can supply the would-be taxpayer with a report showing all of the items of income reported to Uncle Sam for a given year. The IRS folks where I practice have begun appearing at 341 hearings bearing a report of income for unfiled tax years.
Now that you have the tools, you have to supply the motivation to get the project done.
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