How to Amended Tax Return, Tax Amendment
In order to make changes, make corrections, or add information to an income tax return that has already been accepted by the IRS, you must file an amended tax return (a tax amendment).
Should I File an Amended Tax Return?
If your federal tax return has been filed or efiled and accepted by the IRS, and you need to add more tax information to your income tax return, you will need to file an amended return using Form 1040X, Amended Individual Income Tax Return.
When to Amend:
You should file an amended tax return if you need to change your filing status, your dependent information, credits, deductions, or income.
When Not to Amend:
If you did not efile, you may have made simple math errors or forgotten to attach certain forms. The IRS will generally catch these mistakes and correct the errors or request additional information from you. If you efiled with efile.com, the online tax software will have already done the math for you correctly, and made sure you had the proper forms filled out.
How Long Do I Have to Amend My Return?
You can amend an already filed or efiled tax return for any tax year at any time. However, to claim a tax refund, a tax amendment has to be filed within 3 years of the date the original tax return was due, or within two years of the date you paid the tax, whichever is later. If you owe taxes, you should file an amended return even if 3 years have passed. Refunds are forfeit after 3 years, but tax debts remain until they are paid.
Can I efile an Amended Tax Return?
Unfortunately, amended tax returns must be filed by mail; the IRS does not allow it to be efiled, so you must print your completed Form 1040X and mail it to the IRS address provided on the form.
Option 1: You can prepare a tax amendment online FOR THE CURRENT TAX YEAR 2011 (all other tax years can not be prepared online) on efile.com, regardless of where you efiled or filed your original 2011 tax return. The efile.com online tax software will generate a Form 1040X for you to print out, sign, and put in the mail to the IRS (the address is on the FORM 1040X). Sorry, you cannot efile a tax amendment to the IRS.
Option 2: You can also download Form 1040X, Amended Individual Income Tax Return and complete the form with Adobe Reader. When you are done, just print the form, sign it, and mail it to the mailing address shown on the form. Attach any schedules or forms that have been changed, but you do not need to send a copy of your original return.
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How to Change or Amend an IRS Accepted Income Tax Return on efile.com
1. If you are expecting a tax refund, you should wait until you receive the refund before you amend your tax return. This allows for any changes or corrections the IRS may have made to your return. Please check the status of your efiled or filed federal tax return.
2. If you efiled your tax return through efile.com and your return has been accepted by the IRS, please download and/or print your accepted return from your efile.com account. Sign in here and click on the PRINT or E-FILE link and download/print your tax return. For record keeping purposes, make sure you store your tax return safely on your computer and as a hard copy.
3. Once you have your efiled/filed tax return in front of you, retrieve/open or download the Federal Tax Amendment Form 1040X.
4. You can open 1040X on your computer screen and fill in the form using your keyboard. Simply move your cursor over the field and use your keyboard to fill in the information.
5. Make sure you have your tax return (1040, 1040A or 1040EZ) and Form 1040X in front of you.
6. In column A of Form 1040X ("Original amount"), enter the amounts from your original return.
7. In column C ("Correct amount"), enter the adjusted new amounts (the difference between columns A and C will be in column B, "Net change"). If you need to explain the specific changes that you made and give reasons for making these changes, you can type your explanation in a separate section (Part III, "Explanation of changes," pg. 2).
8. When finished, PRINT, SIGN, and MAIL (postal address is listed on Form 1040X) Form 1040X, including any schedules if necessary. If you are amending a 2011 Tax Return, you can submit your amendment electronically.
9. You are not quite done yet. If you efiled your return through efile.com and you are amending a return for a year earlier than 2011, please make sure you sign in to your efile.com account and update or correct the original tax return to reflect the information that your entered on your amended return (you can do this by updating the different tabs of your current tax return). If you don't do this, your data for next year's return will not be up-to-date.
10. Once you have done this, calculate the return and PRINT a copy. As mentioned above, you cannot efile these changes for years earlier than 2011. Making these changes ensures that your tax return reflects the tax amendment you filed.
11. Download/print this return and keep it with your tax records. Save the file as "Completed-Tax-Return-with-Amendment" or something similar.
When you sign off from your return on efile.com, your tax information will be updated. Next year, your return on efile.com will show the correct amounts that you filed for the current tax year return. Again, remember to keep copies of the amended return and Form 1040X for your files.
Where to Mail Your Amended Return
If you are filing Form 1040X in response to a notice you received from the IRS, mail it to the address shown on that notice. Otherwise, mail your 1040X to the address on the form. Attach any forms or schedules which have been changed.
Important: Remember to sign your amended return before you mail it!
Amending More than One Return:
If you file two or more amended returns at the same time, you should use a different Form 1040X for each tax year. Make sure that you enter the correct tax year at the top of each 1040X. Sign each amended return and mail each one in a separate envelope.
Amended Refund:
If you are amending a return in order to get an additional tax refund, you can go ahead and cash or deposit any refund you get in the meantime. It generally takes the IRS 8-12 weeks to process an amended return, so you should wait at least 8 weeks before checking on the status of your new amended tax refund. The online "Where's my refund" service does not keep track of amendment refunds, so, after 8 weeks, you can find out more about your refund by calling the IRS customer support line at 1-800-829-1040.
Amended Tax Debt:
If you are amending a return because you owe additional tax, you should pay your balance due as soon as possible to avoid (further) interest and penalties on unpaid taxes.
How to Amend an Accepted State Income Tax Return
Your state tax liability may be significantly impacted by changes made to your federal income tax return. View the websites of the state's tax agency to find out the specific requirements for amending your state tax return. The forms and instructions for completing an amended state return are available from each state's tax department's website.
Help with filing tax returns on efile.com.
If you have additional questions, please contact efile.com.
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