Get help understanding an IRS letter or dealing with taxes you cannot readily pay. Discuss payment plans and other relief options, starting with the balance or concern you can describe today.
Identify what is known
If you are unsure whether a return was filed, explain what records you have rather than assuming that a prepared copy proves submission. Past-due filing questions and a balance already shown by the IRS may require different follow-up.
Discuss the information needed
Ask which tax years require attention and what income or other records would be useful. Filing a past-due return can be important even when full payment is not possible. The relevant filing requirements and payment questions should be discussed separately.
Keep the work understandable
A proposal should explain whether it includes return preparation, account review, notice response, or payment assistance. Ask what remains your responsibility and how missing information will be handled. Keep copies of submissions and relevant confirmation.
Practical questions for your discussion
A prior-year conversation should begin with available evidence and a defined gap. Let the preparer explain requirements after seeing the relevant source inventory rather than treating a long checklist as a conclusion.
Clarify the work, responsibilities, communication, and fees. Obtaining a missing source does not automatically finish the return or establish submission. Retain separate evidence for preparation and any filing actually completed. The questions help define next work without deciding individual requirements from the register alone.
Read the current official instructions: IRS guidance on past-due returns.