In order to make changes, corrections, or add information to an income tax return that has been filed and accepted by the IRS or state tax agency, you must file a tax amendment to correct your return(s). If you have prepared and eFiled a 2021 Tax Return via eFile.com, you can prepare your amendment right from your eFile.com account – amendments are free on eFile.com. See how to prepare and file a 2021 IRS Tax Amendment on eFile.com. If you did not use eFile.com, you can use our online editor to complete the Form 1040-X below, print it, sign it, and mail it to the IRS. If you need to amend your federal return, you generally should amend your state return as well. Find out about state tax amendments and previous tax year amendments.
modify your tax return
we make it easy and free to prepare your federal amendment for the current tax year 2021 if you have e-filed your 2021 irs return at efile.com. preparing amendments from your account is not available for prior year tax returns. You can prepare your amendment from your efile.com account, but you must do it before October 15 as you will not be able to do it after this date. tax amendments for state tax returns can be completed from the respective state page(s).
step by step instructions on how to create a 2021 tax amendment
- Generally, you must file an IRS tax amendment form and/or a state amendment if you need to add more information or make corrections to a tax return you already filed or filed electronically. the return in question must have been accepted by the irs and/or the state. see below when to file and not to file an amendment.
- If you did not e-file your current tax year tax return through efile.com, you can prepare, sign and Print Form 1040-X: For Tax Years 2019, 2020, and 2021, complete and sign this Form 1040-X through our online editor, then print and mail your amendment to the IRS. for tax years 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and before you complete it, sign this form 1040-x through our online editor, then print and mail your amendment to the irs.
Important Electronic Tax Filing Tip: Your state tax return can be significantly affected by changes you make to your federal tax return. Generally, if you change your federal return, you must also change your state return; see state tax modification forms. check to see if you may also need to file a state tax amendment or contact your state tax agency first; State contact information is located at the bottom of the respective state page.
when to file a tax amendment
If you’re due a tax refund on your current year’s tax return, the IRS says you generally must wait until you receive your refund before filing your amendment if you’re claiming an additional refund. The IRS can take up to 16 weeks (or 4 months) to process amended returns. to claim a tax refund, a tax modification must be filed within 3 years of filing the original tax return (including extensions) or within 2 years of the date you paid the tax, whatever happens later. after 3 years, you can no longer claim a refund and the money goes to the government. Beginning in 2022, the due date for tax year 2018 returns resulting in an increased tax refund based on a tax amendment will be April 18, 2022. All prior tax years or back taxes are no longer they can claim tax refunds through a tax amendment.
If you owe taxes as a result of your amendment, you should file your amendment and make your tax payment as soon as possible to avoid additional penalties and interest. if you owe taxes, you must file an amended return even if it’s been 3 years. refunds are forfeited after 3 years, but tax debts remain on the tax books for a minimum of 10 years.
when not to file an amended tax return
If your return is taking a long time to process or you are waiting for your tax refund for more than 21 days, you do not need and should not file a tax amendment. this will not speed up the process and could slow it down; A tax amendment is only done to change or correct something on your accepted tax return.
If you didn’t file your tax return electronically, you may have made simple math errors or forgotten to attach certain forms (e-filed returns are calculated automatically and don’t require you to submit paper forms). The IRS will usually catch math errors and correct the errors while they process your original return. If the IRS wants additional information from you (for example, a missing form or clarification of information on the original return), they will usually send you a request via letter in the mail. the irs will not call or email you.
If you filed your return electronically at efile.com, the tax app will have already done the calculations correctly for you and made sure you’ve completed the proper forms based on your entries.
tax modifications and electronic filing
If you prepared and electronically filed your 2021 tax return on efile.com, you can log in and prepare your IRS tax amendment directly in your account. For prior tax years or back taxes, complete the following form: For tax years 2019, 2020, and 2021, complete and sign this 1040-x form through our online editor, then print and submit your amendment by mail to the indicated IRS address. For tax years 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and prior, complete and sign this Form 1040-X through our online editor, then print and mail your amendment to the IRS. Some state tax amendments can also be completed in your efile.com account, but others cannot. select your state(s), then complete and follow the instructions for the selected state(s). If you are amending your IRS Form 1040 or Form 1040-NR by filing Form 1040-X in response to a notice you received from the IRS, mail it to the address shown on that notice.
Important: The IRS recently began allowing amendments to be filed electronically for the current tax year 2022. Contact us for the latest status on the ability to do this on efile.com. state tax agencies do not allow tax amendments to be filed electronically. You will need to mail your completed and amended state return to your state in order to file.
select one of these options for instructions:
- Option 1: If you correctly prepared and filed your 2021 tax return through efile.com: Find step-by-step instructions on how to prepare an irs tax amendment on efile .com for tax year 2021. For state tax amendment instructions, identify your state(s) here and read the amendment instructions by state.
- option 2: if you didn’t e-file your irs accepted 2021 tax return at efile.com: instructions on how to prepare a 2021 irs tax amendment.
- option 3: prepare a tax amendment for a prior tax year: instructions on how to prepare an irs tax amendment for back taxes.
- option 4: state tax amendments for the current or previous fiscal year: identify the state here, then follow the instructions for this C.
- Option 5: To access Form 1040-x to prepare manually: Search tax forms to find 1040 -x and complete, sign and download the form first.
amendment refund
once you mail your 1040-x federal tax amendment form, it can take up to 16 weeks (or 4 months) from the date it is received by the irs for the form to be processed. You can check the status of your amended return on the IRS Amended Return Status Tool by clicking the button below and clicking the amended return status button:
check the status of the tax modification
You can also call the IRS Modified Return Hotline at 1-866-464-2050.
Note: The IRS “Where’s My Refund” online service does not track the status of modified refunds.
If you’re amending a return to get an additional tax refund, you can go ahead and collect or deposit any refund you get in the meantime. however, do not file your amended return until after you receive the refund. It generally takes 16 weeks (or 4 months) to process an amended return, so you should wait at least 12 weeks before checking the status of your new amended tax refund. Once your amended return has been processed, you will receive any additional refunds due to you.
If it’s been more than 16 weeks and you still haven’t received your modified refund check, you can find more information about your refund by calling the IRS Modified Refund Hotline at 1-866-464-2050 or by clicking the status of the modification link above.
more than one modification
You can file more than one amendment, but if you file two or more amendments at the same time, you must use a different 1040-x form for each tax year. Be sure to enter the correct tax year at the top of each Form 1040-X. Sign each amended return and mail each one in a separate envelope to the IRS. If you have further questions about the tax amendments, please contact efile.com.
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