What do I do if I find an error on my taxes from more than 3 years ago?
467538
First, in cases OTHER than fraud, the IRS has three years from receipt of your return to question the return.  If you have no basis for reopening these old returns, DON'T.  You'll just create significant problems for yourself.\n\nFix the '03, and '04 returns, and ask the IRS to waive the penalties and interest when you pay the tax owed.  An accountant would be able to help you sort out your tax liability and help you negotiate with the IRS.\n\nGood luck.
389442
Don't lie be very truthful. hopefully you have saved all of your information into a nice file folder for the last three years because I believe that's how far back they can go. If not gather that info from the necessary sources and send copies in by certified mail. If they are coming to you, be prepared to sit all day. If you are self employed you should make it a habit of keeping your books up to date and saving all pertinent receipts. As long as you know the info is correct on your previous taxes, you have nothing to worry about.
188126
Go to your local courthouse.  Check with the Tax office and they should have a list of property that has unpaid taxes and that has been unclaimed.
79682
i believe you can go back five years. but the government can go back as far as they want for non compliance with the tax laws. i hope for your sake that you had refunds coming. because if not you are looking at major penalties and interest on balance owed.
29740
Submit an amended return, form 1040X. Fill out 1040X with all the information that was on the original plus the corrected error. The IRS will compare the two and fix the problem, so make sure that the 1040X matches the original with the exception of the corrected error.
740995
You may need to ask your question with some additional details.\n\nI assuming here, but it appears that you failed to files returns on which you were due a refund.  You most likely received a demand for return notice within the first 18 months.  You filed a return well after three years from the original or extended due date.  And you were denied your refund as a result of statute.  You requested an administrative appeal based on their decision. They are asking you for the grounds of your appeal.\n\nIf so, here is what happened.  The statute of limitations runs for three years from the date of the filing of the return.  If you don't file a return, the statute never stops running, and the IRS can come after you to prepare a return at any time.\n\nHowever, if the IRS has money due to you, and you do not request it back within three years of the original due date, or extended due date, they are not permitted to continue to hold your money ad infinitum.  No government agency is permitted to hold your money if they cannot find you and follow set proceedures in order to reach you.\n\nAs the IRS cannot hold your money after the time allowed by statute, they submit the money to the deparment of unclaimed property.  The Federal government and every State has a department of unclaimed property, which makes the money available for government use until you file sufficient claims.\n\nIf my summary is close to correct, and the IRS followed ALL required proceedures in order to notify you of their intent to submit your property, then you have no grounds for administrative appeal, and instead need to focus you efforts on the department of unclaimed property.  If the IRS failed to follow ALL required proceedures, then that is the grounds for your appeal.  And you will need to specify which proceedures were not followed under statute.
297008
The return or refund has been delayed in processing.  keep checking back at the irs.gov site.
150974
You don't.  If you don't have a copy of your prior year return, call 1-800-829-1040 and ask the IRS to mail you a copy of your transcript from last year's return.  It will show your AGI from 2004.
52939
Find the # for the IRS for your area and call them make sure you have information at hand such as you ss# the year of the tax refund owed to you good luck!
151492
Do your own taxes online and e-file save the 300. and get it back just as quick!  \nIf you were not refering to taxes it sounds like a scam!!!!
991559
I just downloaded the software. Go to the website and they should have a link to download the old software from previous years. I just had to do this myself. Its either turbo tax or tax act.\n\nthere are no fees or penalties for two or three years prior fees will be minimal. but again every persons tax situation is different. you will have to pay like 20 bucks to download the software. its easy do it, dont use those paid preparer services what a ripoff, ive been doing my taxes on my computer for years. all my money goes direct deposit. trust me
375817
There will be penalties for failure to file / late filing, but there is unlikely to be any criminal consequence, unless you were intentionally hiding income or something.  Fortunately, those filing penalties reach maximums pretty quickly, and your refunds may be enough to cover them.  Like one respondent said, though, you're likely to be facing some more serious problems if you actually wind up owing taxes.  Don't panic, though; the IRS is usually rougher on businesses than on individuals, in my experience.  There are lots of ways to handle a tax debt, if it turns out that way, so do not ruin your life with worrying, okay?\n\nYou will probably want to get a CPA to do the old taxes for you, just because some CPAs (not all) will have kept the tax software around from years past for situations just like yours.  The CPA is going to need documents to try to re-create your finances from those years, though, so start gathering your bank statements and other records.  (You might have to ask the bank for copies of the old records, in which case they may charge you a fee for the trouble.)  I know some CPAs who specialize in this sort of thing, if you have no one else to turn to.\n\nRemember, for any situation you get in with the IRS, there's a good chance someone else owes 10x as much, has done 1/2 as much about it, and cares too little to even ask a question like yours.  Don't lose sleep over this or anything, just get started handling it.  And remember to file your taxes from now on!
265888
If you have last years taxes look on your 1040. I'm not sure where else to look
40351
Most tax preparers will check over your return for free.  I know that Liberty Tax Service will and I think H&R block and Jackson Hewitt will also.  They will charge you to correct it if you messed up, but it gives you the best of both worlds.  If you get it right you don't have to pay.  If you make a mistake it gets caught by someone other than the IRS :)
1147132
Call the employer and ask.  They should still have it on file if it's less than three years old.
208001
Contact your State. If you had someone do your taxes for you they should have a copy.
806658
I'm not clear if the refund is from restating your 2004 return, or if your 2005 return is enough to pay the 2004 payment and leave more to be refunded.  If the second applies, use the "Where's My Refund?" link below.  If you amended you 2004 return, amendments are processed differently that 'normal' returns and always take longer.  It sounds like they should have had time to resolve the issue by now.  Try calling 1-800-TAX-1040.  You could also try going to the nearest IRS office and talking to someone in person.