After a long fought battle, my father died of cancer near the end of 2015. After his death, I took it pretty hard and was dealing (long distance) with my mom’s severe depression and care. She died (suicide) in December of 2016. During all this mess, I failed to file and pay 2015 and 2016 taxes. It was a long span of time to let go by, but it was a blur for me. At the end of 2017 I finally started coming out of my fog and getting my act together. I filed my 2017 taxes early (like I normally do) and paid them, all done before the end of February. While filing them, I realized I had to go back and file for the previous two years.
In my ignorance of the tax system and requirements, knowing I owed for those years, I figured I wouldn’t take any exemptions in 2018 and use the large refund at the end of the year to take care of my previously unfiled/unpaid taxes. I made this decision in February of 2018. In March of 2018, I had to fill out another SF86 for a renewal… I volunteered all the information, the circumstances, etc. My intention was to stick with the original plan and take care of it all this next tax season. But, I received a letter from the IRS stating I needed to file immediately to avoid penalties, interest, etc. I did. Three out of the four are filed with payment (still waiting processing); and the fourth is at the IRS awaiting approval. As soon as it is approved, I will pay it.
I had my BI interview and he didn’t seem concerned since there were no liens, my credit is good, and I’m not financially stressed. 2015’s taxes owd were literally $80 to the feds and $61 to state…I told him I just about spend that taking my wife and four grown kids to Texas Roadhouse. The only pending filing is federal for about $1700. It wasn’t an attempt to avoid paying; it wasn’t some crazy political statment–I seriously forgot. Not even a blip on my radar because of my preoccupation with back to back deaths of my parents and the craziness of that time. Again, as it stands, I have worked to remedy the situation, and I did file and pay my 2017 taxes as I normally do. I’m back on track.
My problem is I overthink things and will probably make myself sick until this entire renewal is complete. I have read some horror stories on the interwebs about taxes resulting in denial. The only thing that gives me hope is most of the tax issues resulting in denial were also putting the applicant in a great deal of financial trouble; and they had anywhere between 3-10 years of taxes unfiled/paid without attempts to correct the issue. What are your thoughts on my situation? I guess it all depends on the adjudicator? I am 100% clean with 23 years of impeccable service other than this stupid tax situation I got myself into…
I look forward to updating everyone on what happens, and hopefully my situation’s outcome, good or bad, will be helpful to others.