There are many reasons why someone may not have filed taxes, including financial difficulties. Back taxes accrue interest and penalties- quickly adding to the total debt owed to the IRS. When the IRS feels you’ve been hiding money, filed fraudulent returns or willfully failed to file, there are cases where jail time is ordered. The IRS can also place liens against your property or seize your property including bank accounts and garnish your wages without ever going to court.

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act was passed in 2007, and allowed homeowners the protection of forgiving mortgage debt. Mortgage debt includes: principal balance forgiveness, waiver of debt in a short sale, waiver of debt in a deed-in-lieu, any deficiency waiver, as well as charged-off second mortgages. Prior to the passage of the MFDRA, homeowners would have to declare any forgiven debt as 'income', and would be taxed on that 'income.' MFDRA provided financial relief