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Which federal tax form do I use for work done in 2003?

I was an independent contractor, but never filed my tax form. I made very little, if any, profit that year, and only 8K in income. Where do I get the form? What year should it say at the top?

Public Comments

  1. IRS Previous Year Forms
  2. 2003 1040. You may not owe much in income tax, but you'll owe $1130 in SE tax, plus penalties and interest. This could easily double. To add insult to injury, you won't even get credit over at Social Security since you missed the deadline. (2003 SE income had to be reported by 4/15/2007 to add to your official earnings history.)
  3. If you wish to file your INCOME TAXES for that year as an independant contractor, you got a LONG row to hoe. First, as an independant contractor, NO income TAXES or FICA taxes were withheld. This means that IF you are found to be owning any taxes from that period there wil also be penaltes and interest due along with the taxes. Go to irs.gov http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=98339,00.html to download the 2003 1040 form. If you had ANY employment/business related expenses during this time that could reduce your actual income you need to also download a Schedual C business expenses form and fill it out too. The only thing you can look forward to is to PAY money into the system as any money that MIGHT have been due you from a payroll with holding point of view is lost now no matter HOW much you might have coming bacl. The IRS has rules in place now that prohibit refunds on tax filings that are made three years AFTER they are due. Get out your wallet.
  4. If it's work done in 2003 and you didn't file that year, you need a 1040, a schedule C and a schedule SE - all should say 2003 on top. If you filed but just didn't include that income, then you need form 1040X
  5. You use 2003 tax forms you download at http://irs.gov for your 1040 form and instructions. You need to fight the normal tax and the interest and penalty - both - and in somewhat different ways. You need to write a hand-written letter to the IRS, better yet, call them also, at 1-800-829-1040 and tell them that you made a mistake of ignorance (you didn't know what you were required to do, and you had never filed before, and you didn't expect to make as much money as you did, and never expected to file a return, and then admit that you blew it.) It may or may not work, but the IRS loves honesty and people who don't have much money and are trying to be good citizens. Then ask them, "What specifically should I do?" Then write it all down, and do exactly as they say. GET THE PERSON's NAME and ID# that you talk to, and ask if he/she can: 1) MAKE A NOTE IN YOUR FILE that you called and are going to follow up immediately on what they said, and 2) ask if you can pay any tax due on installment and what is the IRS's fee schedule and charges if you do. Then, when you file your 1040 income tax return, write a HAND-WRITTEN letter, referring to your phone call and explain in the letter that you are very sorry, and you didn’t do it intentionally and you are trying to do exactly what the representative you talked to said for you to do – then give name of rep and #. Enclose this letter on top of your return when you file. Above all, be honest, innocent and nice. Trust me, they know the difference between your average citizen who makes a "dumb mistake" and the millions of sleazies who are all piped up to scam them and underpay. They know! And I know because I am an accountant, tax accountant and I have talked with IRS tax auditors up to the level of regional managers, and also done returns for my customers who were audited by the IRS and some who were in exactly the same position you are in! Now, in a straight-forward situation, the IRS will give you a straight-forward answer, and everything I just told you may not do you any good at all. BUT I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN the IRS agent in an audit say, “Actually you owe us $3000, but just pay us $300 and don’t do it again.” HONESTLY. I AM NOT LYING. Many people will read this and SCOFF, and say, “He’s nuts!” But I am not nuts, and I am not kidding, and I am not lying. I have personally seen it – more than once. BE NICE, HONEST AND INNOCENT. It certainly CAN’T HURT YOU , AND YOU WILL SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT, knowing you were nice and that you don’t have to try and COVER UP A LIE!! THAT'S PHASE ONE. The phase two is filing you 1040. Your self-employed income goes on Schedule C, and your PROFIT, NOT YOUR TOTAL SALES, is taxed a self-employment tax of starting (before adjustments of 15.3%). YOU NEED DEDUCTIONS TO REDUCE YOUR PROFIT!! Your biggest deductions are often automobile mileage to and from your contractor job. Then you can also set up a home office and say 10 x 10 feet = 100 sq. ft. were used exclusively for your business. Software will guide you through it, but it's hard to get 2003 software now. (I have it, and I just did a 2003 return ...), but the idea is this: you rent or won. If you rent 800 sq. ft. and pay $1000 per month, you home office is 100/ 800 = 12.5% of your total area. Then multiply 12.5% times your total rent (plus utilities and all you house expenses!!). 12.5% x $1000 = $125, but this is just per month. So if you lived there all year - EVEN IF YOU DID NOT WORK ALL YEAR - then multiply $125 x 12 months = $1500, and that's your home office deduction from your SELF EMPLOYED INCOME ON YOUR SCHEDULE C. But. like I said, you can deduct the cost of any office supplies used to support you getting and having this job plus about half your phone bill (don't say I told you so!), because you have to have a cell phone to have job nowadays, and the IRS does not consider that unreasonable. Plus don't forget any other driving around or any expenses related to the job, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL DEDUCTIBLE. I did one just like your within the last 30 days. A lady's total income was $10,000, and we reduced her PROFIT and therefore HER TAX AND INTEREST AND PENALTIES to ZERO! Why would I lie or brag. i have nothing to gain here. I just want to help you and play the Yahoo game also. But when I do this, I DO THE BEST I CAN, because, for me, IT'S real: real people - real problems - real questions - real life. There may be other deductions you qualify for and even tax credits, but I don't know, without going through it all with you. If you have children, then you might get deductions and/or credits elated to them, etc. Collect all your receipts if you have any. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE RECEIPTS, CREAT THEM BY HAND. These are acceptable to the IRS many times, because the principle of receipts is "provide or create THE BEST EVIDENCE POSSIBLE.) Push to pay the lowest tax or none. Even te IRS will tell you this. But don't get GREEDY. It's just like if you're driving on the freeway and the speed limit is 65, and you're going 73. The police will probably PASS YOU by. But if you're going 90, you will pay. Same with the IRS: you can push to the MAX, and you have to, or otherwise, you will pay many times even more than you owe, because you miss some deduction or credit!! I hope this helps.
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