<prompt> Human: I feel like there is no way out. I am using a throwaway account for this one because I dont want to be forced to deal with this before I have a plan. I live every day in fear that my wages will be garnished or worse, taken completely. I have been on my own since I was 17, and in the work force since I legally could age 13. I have felt like my life is a constant struggle of high interest loans, and having no option other than taking on more debt I could handle. My family never had much advice on money because I think they never had much or were terrible at managing it themselves. Ive read books to try to get better, but I now feel so far in a hole that Ill never be able to get out. Ive spent the last year paying off debt and working my butt off. Between 14-17 I was a tipped employee busserbarback and made less than 10K a year. At 17, I got a 1099 commission job doing door to door sales and make about 30K. Age 18-22 l,I was in college working as a server doing odd jobs I found on Craigslist such as bartending gigs and being a brand ambassador. I never made more than 20Kyear but I dont have any of my paperwork from the multitude of jobs I had. I was just trying to survive through two car accidents and multiple unhealthy relationships. Age 23, I got another commission job for a life insurance company and worked there for two years. I made 58,000 the first year and 28,000 the second year. I never kept a mileage log, but I do have my daily schedules and the many addresses I visited. For the last 1.5 years Ive worked for a much better job, still 100 commission, but I get significant raises annually. I made 58K last year but spent about 25K in business expenses. Possibly more if you include a rental car I had to pay for for about 6 months just to make any kind of an income. Again, I did not keep a mileage log. As of now, my only assets are my car my 5th since age 17, a TV and a lot of books. Ive got only 10K in school debt because I was on a scholarship, but I never finished. Ive got 20,000 in debt from a 29 interest car loan for a car I totaled two years ago. I only had liability insurance at the time. Ive got less than 3,000 in other various debts. This year, I should make about 80K with 25K in expenses again. Im working on building my own business and getting away from being a 1099 employee to a business owner. I finally feel like I see a light at the end of the tunnel, but I worry Im going to get hit by a train before I get there. I know my own poor choices got me here, and many of you will chastise me for failing to keep good mileage logs or receipts. I can only hope that those people can put themselves in my shoes and sympathize with current situation. What is the best way to get myself to a clean slate as a current 1099 employee still strugglingtrying to become a new business owner? Should I even file this years taxes, or should I wait and file all of the past decades to the best of my ability? Should I get a CPA? The goal here is to limit my risk later on but protect the vulnerable state that I am in now as I am becoming more financially aware and responsible. Can anyone help?? Assistant: Its not so bad that its worth freaking out over. Lots of people are in your situation. As long as you go to the IRS voluntarily, they will be super nice about it, they just want their money thats all. If they come after you, its different, but if you do it voluntarily you wont have any trouble.Your situation is complex enough, though, that it will be a huge headache if you try to untangle this mess by yourself. Totally worth hiring a CPA in my opinion.Human: Thank you for the encouragement and this is what I thought. I will have to hire both ASAP, any advice on saving money? Ive thought maybe CPAs that have just graduated may be cheaper. Edit: wrong acronym Assistant: This whole subreddit is about saving money. That said, its really as easy as designing a strict budget to live on and allocating a portion to pay back the IRS. They will work with you to come up with the right number.Human: I meant saving money on a CPA. I have a budget thats helped me pull myself out of debt, but when it comes to hiring professionals I dont know where to start.  <response>: As a CPA myself, youll want to go with someone a little more experienced. Visit a couple of smaller CPA firms in your area or collect recommendations from people you trust. Interview those CPAs and pick one that works with your budget and can explain things to you in a way you understand. 