Updated September 2026
Good back tax help starts with your IRS transcripts and your missing returns, not with a settlement pitch: the IRS requires all required returns to be filed before it will consider an offer in compromise, and staying current on filing is a condition of any payment plan. The services below prepare old returns and resolve the balance that follows, and the free IRS online account shows you what the IRS already has on file. Global Gate Tax Relief publishes this guide and ranks itself first; the other entries were checked on 23 September 2026.
How we chose these firms
Back tax cases usually mean two jobs: filing what is missing, then resolving what is owed. We checked each option’s own website on 23 September 2026 for:
- Licensed representation: enrolled agents, CPAs or attorneys.
- Return preparation in-house: whether the firm prepares prior-year returns as well as negotiating.
- Fee disclosure: a flat quote, published range, or at least a clear policy.
- Free consultation and national coverage.
- Public record: no open or recent FTC or state attorney general action we could find.
- Honesty about DIY: recognition that some people only need to file and set up a plan.
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Global Gate Tax Relief
Best for: Sorting out several unfiled years and the balance together
Global Gate, in Irvine, California, has worked on IRS tax resolution since 2017 and has licensed tax attorneys, enrolled agents, CPAs and case managers on its team, serving all 50 states remotely.
- Starts with the record: after a free consultation it files Form 2848 and pulls your IRS transcripts, so the plan is built on what the IRS actually shows.
- Scope: it has dedicated services for unfiled tax returns and back taxes, plus installment agreements, offers in compromise, penalty abatement, bank levy and wage garnishment help.
- Fees: a flat fee quoted upfront if it takes the case; no hourly billing, nothing added mid-case, no outcome guarantees.
Call 1-877-800-8180, Monday to Friday, 9-5 Pacific.
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Jackson Hewitt Tax Resolution
Best for: People years behind who want a tax-prep brand to file the returns
Jackson Hewitt’s resolution team says it helps people “file missing tax returns and get you back into compliance,” and its specialists hold the enrolled agent credential, with CPAs and attorneys on client teams.
- Who it targets: its back-tax service is described for people who owe $10,000 or more.
- Fees: free consultation and IRS investigation, then a personalized plan with transparent pricing; you pay only if you proceed.
- Also covers: non-filer investigations, penalties, payroll matters and state balances.
Many of its local offices handle notices; complex cases go to the specialist team.
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Tax Defense Network
Best for: Pairing prior-year preparation with a resolution
Tax Defense Network says it has operated since 2007 and lists help with unfiled tax returns and individual tax preparation next to its payment plan and offer in compromise services. Its site says it may employ attorneys, CPAs and enrolled agents under IRS Circular 230.
- Consultation: free and no-obligation.
- Fees: not published; the site says you will be charged if you hire it.
Ask who will sign your returns and your power of attorney, and whether prep and resolution are priced separately.
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Community Tax
Best for: An investigation of your IRS records before any filing
Community Tax, in Jacksonville, Florida, says its team includes enrolled agents, CPAs and tax attorneys, and it lists tax preparation, including unfiled returns, among its services. Its investigation step tracks financial records and makes inquiries with the IRS.
- Fees: a flat fee for investigations; resolution fees are not published.
- After filing: installment agreements, offers in compromise, currently not collectible status and penalty abatement.
Ask whether the investigation fee covers pulling every year’s transcripts, and how return preparation is priced once the missing years are known.
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Precision Tax Relief
Best for: Back returns plus bookkeeping at a fixed quoted price
Precision Tax Relief, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, lists “bookkeeping, audit representation and filing your back tax returns” among its services and says CPAs, tax attorneys and enrolled agents manage its cases.
- Fees: its “Fair Quote Guarantee” says the consultation quote is all you pay, and it says it never asks for full payment upfront.
- Fit: self-employed people whose records need rebuilding before old returns can be filed.
Confirm that the quote covers every missing year, not just the resolution work.
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Polston Tax
Best for: Small businesses behind on both returns and books
Polston Tax, in Norman, Oklahoma, says it has handled tax problems since 2001 with tax attorneys and enrolled agents, and offers individual and business return preparation, bookkeeping and small-business accounting next to its resolution work.
- Why it fits: one firm can catch up the books, file the missing years and then set up the plan or offer.
- Fees: not published on the pages we read; the consultation is free.
Payroll tax gaps are common in these cases, so ask how it handles missing quarterly returns.
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IRS online account and transcripts (free)
Best for: Seeing what the IRS has on file before you hire anyone
Before paying anyone, sign in to your IRS Individual Online Account and download your transcripts, per IRS.gov. Account transcripts show whether a return was processed for each year and any balance assessed; wage and income transcripts show what employers and banks reported to the IRS.
- No online access? Transcripts by mail arrive in 5 to 10 calendar days, and Form 4506-T covers every transcript type, per IRS.gov.
- Other free help: IRS.gov points past-due filers to its free preparation programs such as VITA, and Low Income Taxpayer Clinics represent eligible taxpayers at no or low cost.
How far back do you need to file?
The IRS’s own manual says enforcement of filing requirements “normally” covers six years. That is Policy Statement 5-133 in IRM 1.2.1.6.18, as cited in IRM 4.12.1 on IRS.gov (September 2026); managers can go shorter or longer depending on the case. IRS.gov advises filing all returns that are due, even if you cannot pay. Filing stops the failure-to-file penalty from growing: under IRC §6651(a)(1) it is 5% of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month late, up to 25%, and for returns due after 31 December 2025 a return more than 60 days late carries a minimum of $525 or 100% of the unpaid tax, whichever is less, per IRS.gov (September 2026).
If a refund is owed for an old year, you generally have to file within 3 years of the due date to claim it, per IRS.gov. If you do not file, the IRS may prepare a substitute return that might not give you credit for deductions you are entitled to.
After the returns are filed
Once you are current, the balance can usually go into a payment plan, an offer in compromise if you qualify, or currently not collectible status. The IRS generally has 10 years from assessment to collect under IRC §6502.
Frequently asked questions
IRS policy (Policy Statement 5-133, IRM 1.2.1.6.18) says enforcement of filing requirements normally covers six years, though IRS managers can require more or fewer depending on the case.
Generally only if you file within 3 years of the return’s due date, per IRS.gov. After that, the refund is lost, but filing still matters for your record and any balance.
That is a substitute for return. IRS.gov notes it might not give you credit for deductions and exemptions you are entitled to; you can still file your own return for that year, and a representative can ask the IRS to use it in place of its figures.
Download your transcripts from your IRS Individual Online Account, request them by mail, or file Form 4506-T. A representative with a signed Form 2848 can pull them for you.
Related guides and services
Sources
Not sure which option fits?
Talk it through with a licensed tax professional. The consultation is free and there is no obligation.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Tax rules and IRS procedures change; check the linked IRS sources or speak with a licensed professional about your situation. Individual results vary.