14 Dec If you haven’t filed a tax return

Q. I just learned my mother is behind on her taxes, and she hasn’t filed a return since my dad died five years ago. How can I help?
— Unsure

A. We’re sorry to hear about your dad.

You can help by getting your mom back on track as soon as possible.

Start by getting a copy of the last tax return your mom and dad filed together, said Gail Rosen, a Martinsville-based certified public accountant.

“You will need this to know if there are any carry forwards to the following year’s tax return,” Rosen said. “You can also use this as a guide to see what income and expenses were included in the tax return preparation.”

Next, look for all tax documents for the years to be filed, including pension income, Social Security, brokerage statements, interest and dividend income.

Deductions you should look for include medical expenses, charity, real estate taxes and mortgage interest if they own a house or rent paid, Rosen said.

Depending on her tax situation, your mom may have lost out on some refunds.

“Please note that your mom has three years from the date of the original deadline of the return to claim a refund of overpaid taxes,” Rosen said. “For example, your 2013 tax return was due April 15, 2014 and she has until April 2017 to claim any tax refund.”

You should also be prepared for penalties and interest if she owes money to the IRS.

You also might have filing requirements for estate tax returns, Rosen said.

This can be a big job and you may want to use a tax professional for help.

Email your questions to .

This post was first published in December 2016.