You're supposed to pay your taxes by April 15 every year. There can be substantial penalties if you fail to do so. Fortunately, the Internal Revenue Service still will take your money if you pay late — and even send out refunds up to three years after the original deadline. You'll need to start by figuring out which years you did not file your income taxes. You can check online, call the IRS and speak to an agent or visit an IRS office in person to find out this information.
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Look Online
You can check which years you have or haven't filed online by going to the "Get Transcript" <ahref="http: www.irs.gov="" individuals="" get-transcript"=""> </ahref="http:>page of the IRS website. Supply your date of birth, Social Security number and a street address that matches the IRS records. Click on each year you need to check. You will see a dropdown menu showing you what tax documents are available to you. If your tax transcript is available for that year, then you have filed your taxes. If it isn't, you will have access to your W-2 and 1099 income verification forms you need to file your return. You can have any of these documents mailed to you, or download them from the website. If you haven't filed that year's taxes, you will see a message indicating that the IRS does not have your tax documentation for that year.
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Call the IRS
If you don't mind being on hold — often for considerable periods — you can call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and speak to an agent. The agent will be able to look up your tax information and verify whether you have paid taxes in any given year. You'll again have to provide personal information, such as your Social Security number, date of birth and address. The address you provide must match IRS records, so be prepared to offer the address from the last time you filed taxes or otherwise dealt with the IRS if it is different from your current address. The IRS asks for this information to help confirm that they are speaking to someone who has a right to know about the information you are seeking.
Visit an IRS Office
You also can find out which years you missed filing your taxes by speaking to an agent at a local IRS office. When you arrive, take a number and wait until there is an agent available to answer your questions. Make sure you have official photo identification with you, such as a driver's license or state ID. Arrive early, as many IRS offices stop giving out numbers before the office closes once they determine that the number of people waiting is enough to fill their schedule. You also will be able to get any of the documents and forms you need to file delinquent taxes while you are at the IRS office.