Partner hasn’t filed taxes in 3 years… what happens now?

Seeking Advice
1

My partner works as a 1099 contractor in construction. He gets a 1099 every year but hasn’t filed taxes for three years. We’ve been talking about buying a house, and that’s when he told me about this. He doesn’t think it’s a big deal and even said a coworker hasn’t filed in over five years with no problems.

I’ve always been a W2 employee and file my taxes as soon as I can. This whole situation feels like a ticking time bomb. He doesn’t own any big assets—just a paid-off car, rents a place, and has less than $20 in his account.

Isn’t this basically tax evasion? Could he end up in jail? And does this mean buying a house together is out of the question?

2

No way you’re getting a house without his tax returns. Forget about that right now. And if you get married, you might end up paying his penalties and interest too. That’s a mess waiting to happen.

3

Shannon said:
No way you’re getting a house without his tax returns. Forget about that right now. And if you get married, you might end up paying his penalties and interest too. That’s a mess waiting to happen.

Yeah, definitely not getting married anytime soon. I’ve worked hard to build my savings, but I think he just doesn’t understand how serious this is.

4

@Kitt
Buying a house with someone you’re not married to can get really complicated if things go south. You might want to reconsider.

5

Reeve said:
@Kitt
Buying a house with someone you’re not married to can get really complicated if things go south. You might want to reconsider.

I’ve done it with business partners, but we had clear contracts to cover everything.

6

@Kitt
If you ever change your mind about marriage, make sure he gets this sorted first. You don’t want his issues becoming yours.

7

So you’re thinking about committing to a mortgage with someone who hasn’t filed taxes in years? That’s a huge risk. Be careful.

8

Sam said:
So you’re thinking about committing to a mortgage with someone who hasn’t filed taxes in years? That’s a huge risk. Be careful.

To be fair, I didn’t know about this until now when I asked for his tax returns for pre-qualification. Buying together is off the table now for sure.

9

@Kitt
Off the table? It should be a hard no. Honestly, I’d reconsider the entire relationship.

10

@Kitt
If you still buy a house, make sure it’s only in your name.

11

Every mortgage I’ve applied for asked for at least two years of tax returns. Without those, this is a non-starter.

12

He has less than $20 in the bank and thought buying a house was realistic? That’s wild.

13

Why hasn’t he filed? That’s a huge red flag. Don’t get tied up financially with someone like that.