How to find out if you have back taxes?

Once in your account, you can view the amount you owe along with your balance details, view 18 months of payment history, access Get a Transcript, and view key information from your current year's tax return. Access your individual account information, including balance, payments, tax records, and more. If you owe taxes to the IRS but aren't sure how much you owe, there are several ways to find out. You can do this online, by phone, or by mail.

The most reliable ways are by phone or using the online tool offered by the IRS, since the mail you receive from the IRS may not contain the total balances for all years or the mail may have been lost. The tool updates interest and penalties every 24 hours, but payments usually take one to three weeks to count. If you've sent a payment recently, don't worry too much if it doesn't appear right away. To use the service, you need your social security number and date of birth, and to verify your identity, you need your civil tax status (single, married filing jointly, etc.) and your mailing address from your last tax return.

You also need an email address and a mobile phone with your name on the account. Finally, you need an account number for a mortgage or home equity loan, a car loan, or a credit card that must also be in your name. While this may seem like going through a lot of obstacles, everything is in place to help protect your identity. The IRS extracts a credit report for verification.

This is a “soft” attraction and doesn't affect your credit score. If you need more information, you can use the online tool to view or print a transcript. You can also ask the IRS to mail you a transcript that takes five to ten days. If you don't have a cell phone, a loan, or any other information required for the online service, you can find out your balance by calling the IRS directly.

Before you call, keep in mind that waiting times can be too long to contact an IRS representative. Individual taxpayers can call 1-800-829-1040, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. Taxpayers representing a company can call 1-800-829-4933, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. If you have a copy of the last notice mailed to you by the IRS, you can check it to see your tax liability balance.

Please note that the amount shown does not include any interest or penalty imposed since the notification was sent. In addition, the IRS often sends notices that contain only one year of taxes due, so if you owe taxes for several years, you'll probably have to add up the balances of all the notices (assuming they've sent letters for all the years due). For updated information, you should check it online or call the IRS. The first thing you'll need to do is gather all your relevant returns and documents related to each year for which you still owe back taxes.

Each of your tax returns will indicate the amount of tax you owe, but that you never paid. If you filed a return but no longer have a copy, you can get one from the accountant who prepared it for you or, if necessary, you can request a duplicate copy from the IRS.