Did you make an mistake on your tax return?

You may need to file an amended return. Here

are some tips that can help!

10 Tips for Filing an

Amended Return

The Special Tax

Form to Amend

Your Return

Use Form 1040X, Amended

Individual Income Tax Return, to

correct mistakes on your tax

return. You must file a paper

Form 1040X; e-filling is not

available. You can find the form

on IRS.gov/forms.

Amend to Correct

Mistakes

You should file an amended tax

return if you need to correct a

major mistake or alter your

original tax return. For example,

you should amend to change

your filing status, or to correct

your income, deductions or

credits.

Don’t Amend for

Calculation Errors

or Missing Forms

Generally, you don’t need to file

an amended return to correct

calculation errors. The IRS will

automatically correct those for

you. Also, do not file an amended

return if you forgot to attach tax

forms. Most of the time, the IRS

will mail you a request if they

need them.

Most Taxpayers

Don’t Need to

Amend to Correct

Form 1095-A Taxpayers who inadvertently used an

incorrect 1095-A to report health

insurance purchased through the

Marketplace for 2014 do not

necessarily need to file an amended

return. However they may benefit

from doing so if filing an amended

return with the correct information

decreases the amount of taxes owed.

Time limit to claim

a refund To claim a refund, you must file

the amended return within 3

years of filing the original

return.

Separate Forms for

Each Year If you are amending more than

one tax return, prepare a 1040X

for each year. Be sure to write

down the tax year of the return

you are amending at the top of

the form. You should mail each

year separately. You will find an

address to mail the forms to in the

instructions for Form 1040X which

are available on IRS.gov.

Attach Other Forms

with Revisions

If other IRS forms or schedules

are used to make revisions,

make sure to attach them to

Form 1040X.

When to File for an

Additional Refund

If a refund is due from your

original return, wait to get that

refund before filing an 1040X to

claim an additional refund.

Amended returns can take up to

16 weeks to process. You may

use your original refund while

you wait for any additional one.

Pay Added Tax as

Early as Possible If you owe more taxes, file your

Form 1040X and pay the tax as

soon as possible. This will

prevent interest and penalties

from accruing. You may use IRS

Direct Pay to pay your tax from

your bank account.

Track your

Amended Return You can track the status of your

amended return three weeks

after you file with ‘Where’s My

Amended Return?’ on IRS.gov.

You will need your taxpayer id

number (typically your SSN),

your date of birth and your zip

code.

To Learn More

Visit www.taxdefensenetwork.com

Or call

(800) 691-5390

Works Cited: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue. Tips for Filing an Amended Return. IRS Tax Tip 2015-64. Washington: GPO, 2015.