Unfiled Returns and Back Filings: What They Are and How They Get Filed

An unfiled return is a past return a state never received. See why you have them, the two approval steps, and how to approve back filings in Kintsugi.

Updated 6 days ago

If a state is showing unfiled returns, this explains what that means, how the returns get filed, and what you need to do in the app.

What an Unfiled Return Is

An unfiled return is a tax return a state expected for a past period that was never submitted. The state's portal shows the period as open and outstanding.

Once we prepare and file one of these, it appears in Kintsugi as a back filing, which is simply a filing for a period that has already closed. This is different from an original filing, which covers your current or upcoming period.

Why You Might Have Them

Unfiled returns usually relate to periods before Kintsugi was filing that jurisdiction for you. Common situations include:

Periods before you joined Kintsugi. If you were registered in a state before you started with us, returns for those earlier periods are not something we would have filed.
A registration effective date earlier than your first filing with us. States sometimes backdate a registration, which creates filing obligations for periods that predate your account.
A jurisdiction we do not currently file for. If a state is not switched on in your account, we are not filing it, so returns can accumulate there.

If none of those explains the returns on your list, tell us. It is worth understanding rather than assuming.

How They Get Filed

There are always two approval steps, and it is worth knowing that up front so the second one does not surprise you. What changes is how the first step happens.

Step 1: The returns get requested

There are two routes to this, and both end in the same place.

Route 1: You request them yourself. Go to Filings > Back Filings and click Request Back Filings. You select each state and the specific periods you want us to file, add any notes, then click Submit Request. The returns are created on your Back Filings tab straight away. This is the faster route when you already know which periods are missing.

For each state, the periods listed are the ones from your registration date that Kintsugi has not already filed. If you filed one of those periods yourself outside Kintsugi, leave it unticked. A state marked Not available has no unfiled periods left to request. Anyone in your organization can submit a request.

Route 2: We identify them for you. Our team reviews state tax portals and, where we find a gap, asks whether you want us to file those returns on your behalf. Nothing happens until you confirm. See: Why Kintsugi Is Contacting You About Past-Due Balances or Unfiled Returns

Step 2: You approve each return in Kintsugi

Either way, the returns end up in Kintsugi as back filings in Unfiled status. Each one then waits for your approval before it is submitted to the state. See: Manually Approving Unfiled Filings in the Kintsugi App (and What Happens to the Payment)

This second step exists for the same reason your regular monthly filings need approval: you should see the calculated amount before a return goes to a tax authority in your name.

Requesting back filings is not the same as approving them. Submitting a request creates the returns on your Back Filings tab. It does not authorise us to file anything or to move money.

How to Approve Unfiled Returns

Navigation Path: Log in to Kintsugi > Filings > Back Filings

You can also filter by Status to see only the ones still waiting on you. Back filings that need your approval will be in Unfiled status.

To approve, click Approve on the row of the specific jurisdiction, or use Approve all at the top of the list to handle everything on the page at once.

If you wish to review a return first, click anywhere on the row to open Filing Details. This shows the period overview (jurisdiction, due date, period, transaction count and amount) and the tax overview (sales, collected tax, adjustment, and fees) before you commit. Note that once the filing is processed, the sales data for that period is locked and used as the basis for the return.

The Back Filing Terms

When you approve, the Back Filing Terms open and you need to accept them before anything is filed. They cover four things:

Timeline. We submit back filings within 6 to 8 weeks of your approval, processed in the order they are approved.
Penalties and interest. The state sets these, not Kintsugi. The Estimated P&I shown is an estimate only, interest accrues daily, and many states do not calculate the final amount until after your return is processed.
What you are approving. You confirm the listed periods and jurisdictions, you acknowledge the timeline, and you accept that in states where the state allows it, Kintsugi remits both the tax due and the penalties and interest the state assesses, from the bank account on file.
Fees. A fee applies to each back filing, based on your plan. The terms show the fee before you approve, and it is charged when the filing is submitted.

For the full explanation of how penalties and interest are handled state by state, see: How Kintsugi handles penalties and interest on back filings

Important: Auto-Approve Does Not Apply

Your current-period filings are approved automatically on the 5th of the month if you take no action. Back filings work differently. Auto-Approve and Auto-File cover current and upcoming filings only, so a back filing will sit in Unfiled status indefinitely until you manually approve it.

If you requested past-due returns and nothing seems to have been submitted, this is the most likely reason. Check the Back Filings tab for returns awaiting approval.

What Happens to the Amount Due

The tax owed on a back filing is calculated from your transaction data for that period, so the final figure may differ from any estimate the state showed. States commonly add interest and penalties on late returns. In some states we remit those with the return from the bank account on file. In others the state bills you directly after processing, and you should send us that notice so we can remit it from the same account. Each filing shows which applies.

Make sure sufficient funds are available in that account when the return is submitted.

FAQs

Q: How do I ask Kintsugi to file past periods?

A: Go to Filings > Back Filings and click Request Back Filings. Select each state and the specific periods you need covered, then submit. You do not need to open a support ticket for this.

Q: How soon after I submit a request do the returns appear?

A: Straight away. They are created on the Back Filings tab in Unfiled status as soon as you submit, ready for you to review and approve.

Q: Why does a state say Not available?

A: Based on your registration date and the periods Kintsugi has already filed, there are no unfiled periods left for that state. If you believe a period is still missing, reach out and we will check.

Q: Who in my organization can request back filings?

A: Anyone with access to your Kintsugi organization.

Q: How long until a back filing is submitted?

A: Within 6 to 8 weeks of your approval. The clock starts when you approve, not when you submit the request. See: How Kintsugi handles penalties and interest on back filings

Q: Will filing late returns trigger penalties?

A: Often yes, since the return is late. Filing is still almost always better than not filing, because penalties usually keep growing until the return is in. If a penalty notice arrives, send it to us.

Q: Can I file these myself instead?

A: Yes. Tell us that is your plan so we do not file them as well, which would create duplicate returns to unwind with the state.

Q: I submitted a request (or approved the outreach email). Why is nothing filed yet?

A: Most likely the returns are in Kintsugi waiting on your approval. Log in to Kintsugi > go to the Filings tab > open Back Filings > approve the returns in Unfiled status, either one at a time or with Approve all.

Q: Do back filings show up in reports and exports?

A: Yes. Filing Category is available as a filter when you export, so you can pull back filings separately, original filings separately, or both together.

Q: Can I request back filings outside the US?

A: Not through this flow. It covers US states only. For non-US periods that need catching up, reach out to us.

Need Help?

For further concerns, we're always here to help. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, just reach out to us using the chat in the bottom right corner of your screen.

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