A desk piled with old documents, folders, and a calculator

EasyTaxUSA File Prior Year Taxes

Years behind on your taxes? You can still set things right. Returns for 2012 through 2022 can no longer be e-filed, but we prepare them online using that year’s tax rules, then hand you a complete, signed-and-ready package to mail to the IRS and your state. Whether you’re catching up on one missed year or ten, we take the guesswork out of old returns, with free help from real tax pros along the way.

Start Your Prior Year Return

5 Steps to file a prior year return

Pick the Year

Create an account and choose any tax year from 2012 to 2022. Filing more than one year? Each is a separate return, all in the same account.

Track Down Your Records

Missing old W-2s or 1099s? The IRS keeps wage and income transcripts for about ten years, and we show you how to request them for free.

Enter Your Information

We prepare your return under the tax law for that year, with every deduction and credit you qualified for at the time, and calculate what you were owed or owed.

Print, Sign & Attach

Download your completed return, sign and date it, and attach copies of your W-2s and any 1099s showing withholding.

Mail It the Right Way

We give you the correct IRS mailing address for your state and year, plus your state return’s address. Send it certified mail and keep a copy.

What’s Included

  • Your federal return for any year from 2012 to 2022, prepared under that year’s tax rules
  • State returns for the same years available as an add-on
  • Every deduction and credit that applied in that year checked automatically
  • A print-ready package with signature lines, attachment checklist, and the correct mailing addresses
  • Free basic tax help by message, email, and phone from real tax professionals
  • Help requesting an IRS payment plan if you owe and can’t pay in full

What to Expect After You Mail

Paper returns move slower than e-filed ones, and the IRS processes them in the order received. Here is a realistic timeline.

  1. Day 1 Mail your signed return by certified mail with return receipt. The postmark date counts as your filing date.
  2. About 4 weeks The IRS logs your return into its system. Before this point, “Where’s My Refund?” and your IRS online account won’t show anything.
  3. 6 to 8 weeks Typical processing time for a paper return with no issues. Older or more complex returns can take longer.
  4. 8 to 12 weeks If you owe, expect a bill for any remaining tax, penalties, and interest around now. If you qualify for a refund, it is issued by paper check.
  5. Within 60 days of filing A good time to request penalty relief if you had a clean history before the missed year, or to set up a payment plan if you owe.
  6. Six months or more If you have heard nothing, call the IRS with a copy of your return and your certified mail receipt. We can help you follow up.

IRS processing times for paper returns vary with the time of year and staffing. Returns mailed in late spring, right after the current-year rush, tend to take longest.

Start Your Prior Year Return

The EasyTaxUSA Advantage

Easy Money (Every Credit, Every Deduction)

We apply the rules that were in force for each year and find every tax break you qualified for, so catching up costs as little as possible.

Easy on Your Brain (No Need to Rush)

Move at your own pace, one year at a time, with step-by-step guidance and help from real tax pros who handle old returns every day.

Easy on Your Wallet (Premium Accuracy, No Premium Price)

One flat price per return, no hidden fees, and no judgment. Everyone falls behind sometimes.

Start Your Prior Year Return

What Our Taxpayers Say

“I was six years behind and terrified of the IRS. They prepared every year, told me exactly where to mail each one, and the bill was far smaller than I feared... Read More

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Texas

“My mortgage lender needed three years of returns I’d never filed. Done in a weekend... Read More

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Florida

“The IRS had filed a substitute return and said I owed a fortune. My real return cut that by more than half... Read More

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Pennsylvania

“They helped me get transcripts for W-2s from an employer that closed years ago. I had no idea that was even possible... Read More

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New York

“The mailing package was idiot-proof: signature lines flagged, addresses printed, a checklist of what to attach... Read More

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Ohio

“After filing everything, they helped me ask for penalty relief and the IRS actually granted it... Read More

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California

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Frequently Asked Questions About Filing Prior Year Taxes

Several good reasons. If you owe, penalties and interest keep growing until you file. If you don’t, the IRS can file a substitute return for you with no deductions and bill you for the result. Lenders, landlords, and immigration applications often require filed returns. Self-employed workers only earn Social Security credits for years they file. And the IRS generally considers you in good standing once your last six years are filed, which is the gateway to payment plans and penalty relief.