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Can I Still File 2008 Taxes Online?

We all know April 15th is the deadline for taxes, but few of us know what to do if you miss that deadline. Is there a way you can still pay your tax due? Are you forever hurt by this one mistake? What about if you didn’t just miss this year, but several other years as well. What then? Can you still file your 2008 taxes online? Or are you a hopeless case?

Here’s everything you always wondered about tax extensions, but were afraid to ask:

Can I still file a 2008 extension?

Well, no. You’re time is up on this one. You were only able to file an extension up until the April 15th deadline of that year in order to extend your file date to October 15th. This is something to keep in mind for your current year returns though.

Can I file back taxes at any time?

Okay, let’s go back to doing those 2008 taxes online: can you? Of course! The IRS is about getting your money, after all, so they want you to pay as long as you’re willing to. You can file past due taxes at any time. Of course, these come with some penalties…

What penalties am I responsible for?

Well, there are two penalty fees that may apply to you for not filing your 2008 taxes.

  1. failure-to-file penalty
  2. failure-to-pay penalty

To find out more about these fees and how to calculate the amount you owe, check out our other article!

Can I still claim my 2008 tax refund?

Refunds can be claimed up to three years after the filing deadline. As you may have guessed, that deadline has passed already. However, now is the time to think of any other prior year tax returns that you need to file that may fall into that three-year time frame. You’ll want to file them ASAP in order to claim that refund.

Why should I still file my 2008 tax return?

You always want to be as up to date on your tax filing as possible to avoid a situation where the IRS holds onto your current year refund due to the fact that you haven’t filed and paid your tax due for a prior year. It wouldn’t be a very happy surprise to find that you can’t collect your expected 2014 tax refund because you decided to skip filing for 2008.

 

So there you have it: all your major questions answered. And yes, you can still file 2008 taxes online (or 2007, 2006, 2005, etc). There’s no statute of limitations on taxes, only increasing fees. So stop worrying about filing and start doing it. Chances are, it’ll be the best choice you ever made.

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No W-2 – What Do I Do?

You worked for a company, it folded, and now you’re out a W-2. Or so you think. Your place of business has until January 31st to send out your W-2, and it won’t be considered officially “late” until after February 15th comes and goes. In other words, if you’re waiting now, you’ll have to keep waiting for another couple of weeks. Don’t panic if your former employer goes under, though. Sometimes, a trustee will be set up in bankruptcy court to handle all the details (like the sending out of W-2s!), but ultimately, W-2 forms are the business’ former owners’ responsibility.

But let’s say you can’t get hold of anyone to send you out your final W-2. What do you do?

Well, you have a number of options. The best and easiest solution is to go through your paystubs and find the data from your final paycheck. All your deductions – FICA, medical, Federal, state, etc. – will be listed somewhere on the stub. 99.9% of those will keep a running total of the total amounts, thereby solving your problem. If you don’t have either available, it’s time to get on the phone to the IRS and listen to some “On Hold” musak.

If you’re up against the wall waiting for your W-2s, you have until the 15th of April to file for an extension. Remember, though – your extension gives you extra time to file, but it doesn’t give you extra time to pay if you owe the IRS a red cent. This is one that catches many tax payers by surprise, year after year.

Finally, if you’re ever in doubt, call the IRS and ask for the definitive answer straight from the source.

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Double-check Checklist

Before you guffaw and navigate away, listen to this: the list below is created from the IRS’s list of most common (and sometimes, expensive) yearly filing mistakes. Our list is meant to be a simple catalog of things to double-check before you lick the stamp or mouse-over the “send” button on your tax filing.

If your eyes are straining from rolling too much, we suggest you simply bookmark this page for the final seconds prior to your sending off for your return. Why?

The IRS charges 6% interest and up to a 20% penalty for incorrect filings. A double-check can save you tons of time, and possibly, tons of money.

  • Did you include your W-2?

Obviously this won’t be a problem for e-filings, but for our snailmail brothers and sisters, it’s one of the most-repeated mistakes.

  • Did you write the correct social security number?

Go over your return and see if you didn’t forget a digit, or mix your wife’s with your own. It’s a silly mistake that can cost you time or money (or both), and the IRS says it’s the number-one “whoops” mistake.

  • Did you file under the correct status?

Easy to slip up on this one if you’re recently married or separated. Same level of “whoops” in the IRS mistake list.

  • Did you claim new home credits too early?

You must have closed escrow by January 1, 2010. Anything after that has to wait for next year. Sorry.

  • Did you report all your income?

No problem for anyone who’s worked at the same job for umpteen years, but if you’ve been floating about doing work for multiple employers (or, gulp, a now-defunct business), it can be tough to keep track of all the W-2s you’re owed.

  • Did you report all your charitable giving?

If you’re just starting now, it’s a little late, but make sure you keep receipts for anything and everything you give away to charitable organizations. Anything valued over $200 has to have a corresponding receipt. If the IRS comes-a-auditing, be prepared to whip out your receipt logs, or you’ll have an uncomfortable amount of ‘splainin’ to do.

  • Did you report all your mileage?

Same as your charitable giving, above. Make sure you keep an immaculate log. Again, the IRS expects you to keep your records for at least five years, and they’ll expect you to have those records ready for display whenever they’d like a closer look.

  • Are you sure your “dependent” is actually a dependent?

Visit the IRS’s website and make darn sure your hanger-on qualifies as a dependent.

If this list saves just one person a week’s worth of waiting for a much-needed return, then our post will have been worth the effort!