Reply #6: there is no statute of limitations if you did not file

[pitohui]

this is why you should always file to the best of your ability even if you cannot pay

if the irs has no record of your filing for 1995 and you have no record of your filing, i think it is safe to say that you did not file

you may need to hire a tax attorney if you are being "hit" for an exorbitant penalty, definitely you need an attorney if you are being dinged for tax evasion (a crimimal offense) otherwise, i would try sorting it out myself

one year i did not file state taxes because i calculated wrong and believed i did not owe, ultimately the penalty was only a few dollars, but as soon as i was notified of an issue, i did hop on the problem and work to resolve it immediately

don't try to delay in a matter of non filing, because there is no statute of limitations here, the statute only holds if you did honestly tried to file and made a mistake and some years passed, no filing at all means the offense is still active i guess? (not clear on why there is no statute of limitations on what seems to be, most commonly, a mistake of not doing some paperwork)