Taxpayers who discover they made a mistake on their tax returns after filing can file Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Reasons for filing an amended tax return may include:
● correcting your income (such as when you receive a corrected W-2 or 1099), ● claiming deductions or credits you may have overlooked, or ● correcting your filing status or the number of dependents you claim.
You do NOT need to file an amended tax return to correct math errors. The IRS will correct those for you. Likewise, you do NOT need to amend your return if you forgot to include a required form or schedule. The IRS will mail a request to you, if needed.
If you need to amend tax returns from multiple years, complete a separate 1040X for each tax year. Mail each tax year’s Form 1040X in separate envelopes.
If upon amending the tax return you owe more tax, you should file Form 1040X and pay the tax as soon as possible. This will limit interest and penalty charges.
To claim a refund, you must file a Form 1040X within three years from the date you timely filed your original tax return or within two years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.
