Discovering new income information after a tax return has been filed can be confusing for many taxpayers.

This prompts the need to file an amended tax return.

Taxpayers often wonder if they should inform the IRS of the change in the first place or if that will prompt additional scrutiny on other tax returns.

While some changes don’t need to be reported, many others require an amendment according to the tax code. For example, if a mathematical error is noticed on the original return by the IRS, a simple correction is likely to be made for you without an amended return.

If a mistake was made on personal exemptions, an amended return is required.

Other examples of events that require an amended return include:

• Receiving an additional W-2 or 1099 form
• Receiving a corrected W-2 or 1099 form
• One or more of your dependents were claimed by another taxpayer
• You were eligible for a credit or deduction that wasn’t included on the original return
• An incorrect filing status was used on your original return

Filing an amended return is the process for changing the information on a tax return that was already filed.

An amended return is filed on a specified correction form and must be submitted with the documents pertinent to the change.

How to File an Amended Return

Filing an amended tax return may result in an additional refund or additional tax due.

Regardless of the outcome, filing an amended return should be done as soon as possible, especially in the case of additional tax due.

A timely amendment to your original tax return can go a long way in keeping penalties and interest to a minimum.

If the original return was prepared on Forms 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ, use the Form 1040X to make the amendment.

Three columns are provided to illustrate the original amounts reported, the amount of increase or decrease and the correct amount.

Refer to the information in the original return and take special care to avoid errors. Space is provided to comment on the reason for the amended return, as well.

The IRS instructs the taxpayer to include copies of forms and schedules that are being changed or weren’t included in the original return.

To claim a refund, the amendment needs to be filed within three years after the due date of the original return or within two years after the tax was paid, whichever is later.

Be patient; it can take up to four months for the IRS to process an amended return.

Business Tax Return Amendments

Filing an amendment to business tax returns varies slightly from amendments to personal returns.

The time constraints and requirements are similar, however; the form on which to file the amendment is often different.

The following business structures should file an amendment on these forms:

Corporation:Form 1120X

S Corporation: Form 1120S

Partnership: Form 1065

Sole Proprietor: Form1040X

Amended returns aren’t accepted electronically by the IRS. They must be sent to the address on the appropriate form.

Consulting with a Tax Professional

Tax return amendment forms are available on the IRS website along with a free instruction booklet for taxpayers who wish to file the amendments on their own.

Many taxpayers opt to have professional tax services step in to prepare and file the amendment for them.

Although the official position of the IRS is that an amended return doesn’t trigger an audit, many taxpayers have found that they may take a peek at the returns filed the previous three years.

At Tax Champions, not only do our services include the preparation and filing of an amendment, but also the review of previous years’ returns to confirm accuracy and completeness.

Why Tax Champions?

Our professional staff is licensed to work with the Internal Revenue Service in all 50 states and abroad, on all personal and business tax matters.

We’ve been negotiating with the IRS for over 35 years and pride ourselves on achieving the best possible results that each taxpayer qualifies for.

Our exceptional reputation is reflected and supported by our A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau with no complaints, as well as the absence of complaints with both the Board of Accountancy and the IRS.

We strive to meet and exceed our clients’ satisfaction every time.

Getting Started

Give us a call for a free consultation.

We’ll confidentially discuss the details of your tax matter and help you explore your options.

There’s no obligation to hire our firm, however; if you decide that our firm is a good fit for your needs, we’ll send you an engagement letter, which outlines the service we’ll provide to resolve your matter.

If you agree to the terms in the letter, we’ll get started immediately.

Give us a call today at 800.518.8964 or submit your contact information to us in the blue box on the right side of this page and we’ll reach out to you.

We’re available during standard business hours, as well as evenings and weekends for your convenience.

Call now.

Sources

[1] About Form 1120-X. (2018, December 12). Retrieved from //www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1120-x