If you’ve got a pile of IRS letters sitting on your kitchen counter that you keep moving from room to room — hoping they’ll somehow disappear — you are not alone. Thousands of people across San Francisco, Daly City, Alameda, and San Mateo County are dealing with exactly the same thing right now. Unfiled tax returns. Back taxes. Penalties that keep growing. And a fear of even opening those envelopes. If you find yourself facing unfiled tax returns San Francisco, know that help is available.
Here’s what I want you to know: it is fixable. And it doesn’t have to feel as overwhelming as it does right now.
My name is Izella Lui, and I’m a tax relief expert working right here in the Bay Area. I specialize in helping people just like you resolve IRS issues and California state tax problems — from unfiled returns going back several years to IRS wage garnishments that are hitting your paycheck right now. I’ve fought for my clients, and I’m going to tell you exactly how I can help you too.
Key Takeaways
These are the things I’d tell you if we were talking over coffee right here in Daly City:
- You’re not in trouble forever. Unfiled tax returns feel permanent and scary, but they are solvable. I fix this specific problem, for real people, regularly.
- Don’t wait for the IRS to make the first move. By the time they contact you about unfiled returns, they’ve already been building your file. Coming to them voluntarily — through me — puts you in a much stronger position than being found.
- Filing late is almost always better than not filing. Even if you owe and can’t pay right now, getting the returns filed stops the failure-to-file penalty from growing. Owing money is a much easier problem to solve than having years of unfiled returns.
- The IRS is not unreasonable when you engage properly. I’ve negotiated hundreds of cases. The IRS has formal programs designed for people in exactly your situation. You just need someone who knows how to use them.
- California is aggressive, but manageable. The FTB has strong collection tools, but they also have resolution programs. I know how to work with both agencies at the same time so nothing falls through the cracks.
- You deserve someone who actually fights for you. Not a paralegal reading from a script. Not someone who disappears after you pay. I am personally involved in every case I take, and I don’t consider it done until you’re fully resolved.
Why People End Up With Unfiled Tax Returns (And Why It’s More Common Than You Think)
Let’s be real for a second. No one wakes up on April 15th and thinks, “You know what, I’m just going to skip filing this year.” Life happens. A divorce. A job loss. A health crisis. A bad tax year where you owed more than you had and you froze up. Sometimes people move, the mail piles up, and before they know it, two years have become five.
In the Bay Area especially — where the cost of living is high, gig work is common, and a lot of people are juggling multiple income sources — unfiled returns are incredibly common. Self-employed contractors in San Francisco who didn’t make quarterly payments. Landlords in San Mateo County who had rental income they weren’t sure how to report. Families in Daly City navigating a loved one’s estate.
Whatever got you here, it doesn’t matter to me. What matters is where you go from here.
What Happens When You Don’t File — And Why Waiting Makes It Worse
This is the part I want you to really hear, because I’ve sat across the table from too many people who waited years to get help and ended up paying far more than they needed to.
When you have unfiled tax returns, the IRS doesn’t just wait politely. They will eventually file what’s called a Substitute for Return (SFR) on your behalf — and they won’t do you any favors. They file using only the income information they have from W-2s and 1099s, with no deductions, no credits, no exemptions. That means you end up owing significantly more than you likely would have if you’d filed yourself.
Then the penalties start stacking up:
- The Failure to File penalty is 5% of your unpaid tax per month, up to 25%.
- The Failure to Pay penalty adds another 0.5% per month.
- And interest compounds daily on top of all of it.
By the time someone comes to me after five years of unfiled returns, a debt that might have been $8,000 can easily be sitting at $30,000 or more — just from penalties and interest alone.
The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) works similarly. They will also file estimated returns on your behalf and send collection notices, and California is particularly aggressive when it comes to collecting what it believes you owe.
This is not me trying to scare you. This is me being straight with you, the same way I’d talk to my neighbor over the fence. The sooner you start, the less you end up paying.
Here’s Exactly How Izella Helps You Fix Unfiled Tax Returns
When you call me, the first thing we do is sit down together — in person if you’re in Daly City, San Francisco, Alameda, or San Mateo County, or over the phone — and I listen. I need to understand your full picture: how many years of unfiled returns we’re dealing with, what income sources you had, what records you still have, and whether the IRS or FTB has already taken any action against you.
From there, I build your case. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Step 1: We Pull Together Your Income Records
Even if you’ve lost your W-2s or 1099s, don’t panic. I can request your wage and income transcripts directly from the IRS. These show every piece of income reported under your Social Security number, going back years. That becomes our starting point.
Step 2: We Prepare and File Your Back Tax Returns — Correctly
This is where my work really matters. Filing your overdue returns isn’t just about entering numbers. It’s about making sure every deduction, every credit, every expense you’re legally entitled to is accounted for. I’ve had clients come to me after the IRS filed an SFR showing they owed $22,000 — and after we filed correctly with their actual deductions, the real number was closer to $4,500.
That difference is real money. That’s a car payment, a year’s worth of groceries, your kids’ school supplies.
Step 3: We Address the Penalties and Interest
Once the returns are filed, we look at what you actually owe and explore every option to reduce it. Depending on your situation, this could include:
- Penalty Abatement — If you have a history of filing on time and this was a one-time problem, or if there were circumstances beyond your control (illness, natural disaster, a death in the family), the IRS does grant first-time penalty abatement and reasonable cause abatement. I prepare these requests carefully, and I know what the IRS looks for.
- Installment Agreements — If you can’t pay the full balance at once, we set up a manageable payment plan directly with the IRS so the collections stop and you’re back in compliance.
- Offer in Compromise — In cases where the full balance truly isn’t collectible, the IRS has a program that allows eligible taxpayers to settle their debt for less than they owe. This isn’t a magic wand — it has real qualification requirements — but for the right client, it can be life-changing.
- Currently Not Collectible Status — If your financial situation is genuinely dire right now, we can place your account in a temporary hardship status that pauses IRS collection activity while you get back on your feet.
Step 4: We Deal With the California Franchise Tax Board Separately
A lot of people don’t realize that the IRS and the California FTB are two completely separate agencies. Resolving your federal issue doesn’t automatically resolve your state issue. California has its own penalty structure, its own installment agreement program, and its own collection tools — including the ability to suspend your driver’s license for unpaid taxes, which I find particularly unfair and stressful for working people.
I handle both. I know the state process as well as the federal one, and I make sure both sides of your tax problem get resolved.
Serving Daly City, San Francisco, Alameda, and San Mateo County
I’m not a national call center. I’m not a franchise. I work right here in the community, and that matters.
When a client from Daly City comes to me, I know the neighborhoods. When someone in San Mateo County is worried about their small business payroll taxes, I understand what Bay Area business owners face. When a family in Alameda is dealing with an estate and back taxes from a deceased parent, I bring personal care to a situation that deserves it.
I am available to meet with clients throughout:
- Daly City — my home base
- San Francisco — including SOMA, the Sunset, the Richmond, and beyond
- Alameda County — including Oakland, Berkeley, and Fremont
- San Mateo County — including Redwood City, San Mateo, Burlingame, and South San Francisco
If you’re not sure whether I serve your area, just call me. The answer is probably yes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many years of unfiled returns can you help me with? The IRS generally requires the last six years of returns to be filed to be considered in compliance — though the specifics depend on your situation. I’ll pull your transcripts and tell you exactly what we need to file. In some cases, especially if the IRS has already filed SFRs, we may need to go back further.
Q: What if I don’t have any of my records from those years? This is very common, and it’s not a dead end. I can obtain your income transcripts directly from the IRS, which show all reported income. For expenses and deductions, we work together to reconstruct what we can using bank statements, receipts, and other documentation. You’d be surprised how much we can piece together.
Q: Will the IRS come after me if I file late returns on my own? You can file late returns yourself, and sometimes that’s fine. But if you owe significant amounts, if there are multiple years involved, or if the IRS has already been in touch, I strongly recommend having professional representation. The way the returns are prepared and how the case is presented to the IRS makes a real difference in your outcome.
Q: How long does it take to resolve unfiled tax returns? Simple cases — one or two years, no IRS enforcement action — can be resolved in a matter of weeks. More complex cases with multiple years, significant balances, or active levies and garnishments take longer. But I’ll give you a realistic timeline upfront, not a vague promise.
Q: What does it cost to work with you? Every case is different, so I give you a real quote after I understand your situation — not a one-size-fits-all number. What I can tell you is that my fee is almost always far less than what I save my clients in reduced penalties, corrected returns, and negotiated settlements.
Ready to Stop Worrying About Your Taxes? Let’s Talk.
If you’ve been carrying the weight of unfiled tax returns in San Francisco, Daly City, Alameda, or San Mateo County — I want you to put it down. Not tomorrow, not after the next IRS letter arrives. Now.
Call or reach out to Izella Lui today for a confidential, no-pressure consultation. We’ll look at your situation together, figure out exactly what needs to be done, and I’ll tell you honestly what it will take to get you resolved.
Because that’s what I do. I’m true to my work — and I’m here to help you.
📍 Serving Daly City, San Francisco, Alameda, and San Mateo County
