Don't Mess With Taxes

The Internal Revenue Service has its own Groundhog Day, but it's not limited to just one specific 24-hour period.

Most often, this re-do of a tax return is when you find you made a mistake on your original Form 1040. The do-over is accomplished by filing Form 1040-X, an excerpt of which is shown below.

See more tax forms and more about them at Tax Forms 2024 and Tax Forms 2025.

 

Fix errors: Nobody's perfect, and the annual filing season underscores that for many of us. When we do make a mistake on our taxes, filing an amended return takes care of the error.

That's obviously the smart move when the changed result gets you more money. But it's also better to file a Form 1040-X when your error costs you a bit more.

When you find the mistake before the IRS does, you'll put an end to penalty and interest charges that technically started adding up when you filed your incorrect return. If you wait for the tax agency to find the error, which it usually does, and alert you, the longer time before discovery means more added charges have accrued.

Now I'm not saying that the IRS' slower discovery is intentional. The IRS has a lot on its plate, especially with changes instituted and expected under Donald Trump's second term.

So if you messed up your 1040, fix it as soon as possible by filing an amended return. Regardless of whether your revisions will mean you'll get money back from Uncle Sam, or will owe more. 

Claim overlooked breaks, disaster losses: You also should file an amended return if you overlooked a tax break for which you were eligible.

A 1040-X filing also could be useful if you were in a major disaster area, and redoing the prior year's return to claim catastrophic losses is the best financial and tax move.

Basically, says the IRS, you should file an amended return if there's a change in your filing status, income, deductions, credits, or tax liability.

Of course, since we are talking taxes and the IRS, there are some rules that apply when you're trying to correct your taxes. Here are eight 1040-x tips that could help if you find yourself playing the tax version of Bill Murray on Feb. 2.

1. Start with the IRS' Interactive Tax Assistant. You can use Should I file an amended return? at IRS.gov to help determine if you should file an amended tax return. As mentioned, you generally don't need to amend a filing for math errors. However, do file an amended return if there's a change in your filing status, income, deductions, credits, or tax liability. The IRS amended return online tool can help you determine if you need to re-do your return.

2. Know the forms you can correct. You can use a 1040-X to correct a previously filed Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR, or to change amounts previously adjusted by the IRS. You can also use Form 1040-X to make a claim for a carryback due to a loss or unused credit or make certain elections after the deadline.

3. Don't miss the filing window. Generally, to claim a refund, you must file Form 1040-X within three years after the date you filed your original return or within two years after the date you paid the tax, whichever is later. Returns filed before the due date (without regard to extensions) are considered filed on the due date, and withholding is deemed to be tax paid on the due date.

If you find your mistake quickly and it means you get more of a refund, the IRS says chill. You should wait for the IRS to process the original refund producing return and you get your tax cash before you file a 1040-X to claim an additional refund.

4. Use separate 1040-X forms when amending multiple tax years. If you find one year's mistake led to others, you might need to amend multiple tax returns. In this case, the IRS asks that you file and submit a separate Form 1040-X for each tax year. This will help avoid confusion (as much as possible!) for both you and the tax agency. Check the box for the calendar year or enter the other calendar year or fiscal year that you are amending on each 1040-X.

5. Pay additional tax. Remember when I said you should amend a return even if it costs you? In these cases, when you file your Form 1040-X, pay as much of the tax as soon as possible. This will stop or reduce penalties and interest. You have a variety of options to e-pay your taxes.

6. File your X form electronically. It now is possible to e-file Form 1040-X for the current or two prior tax periods using available tax software products.

Note, however, that you can electronically filing a 1040-X only if the prior return you are correcting also was e-filed. If you're amending a prior year return that you originally filed on paper, then the amended return must also be filed on paper.

If you do submit a paper version of Form 1040-X, be sure to check the address where to send it. In most cases, it's different from the snail mail address you sent your regular 1040. You can find the correct 1040-X mailing locations in the "Where To File" section of the 1040-X instructions. 

One more U.S. Postal Service note. If you're mailing Form 1040-X in response to an IRS letter about your return, send it to the address shown on the letter.

7. Track your amended return status online. Be patient is one of the most frustrating pieces of advice a taxpayer can get, but it definitely applies to filing an amended return.

While e-filing speeds things up processing when it comes to original returns, it likely will take longer for even electronically filed 1040-X forms to make it through the IRS' system. The tax agency says to allow eight to 12 weeks for your Form 1040-X to be processed. And in some cases, warns the tax agency, 1040-X processing could take up to 16 weeks

You can check the status of an amended tax return by using the online IRS tool Where's My Amended Return? It's available in in English and Spanish.

But remember the processing time frame guidelines. Your 1040-X information won't show up in the search tool until it is processed. Once your 1040-X is accepted by the IRS, you can check the online tracking tool daily. That's how often it updates, usually at night.

Also keep an eye on your bank account if you're getting a refund (or a larger one) based on your amended return. The 1040-X direct deposit option has been available since processing year 2023.

8. Check your state filings. Changes to your federal tax return likely mean changes to your state taxes, too. Check with your state's tax department for details and the steps you need to take to correct earlier filing errors at that tax level.

Groundhogs, armadillos, and tax numbers: And with that, plus a note that Feb. 2 is this weekend's By the Numbers figure, I now return you to your regular, or repeated, Groundhog Day activities!

Here in Central Texas, we have our own version of Punxsutawney Phil. Our critter forecaster is not a groundhog, but a nine-banded armadillo known as Bee Cave Bob. But unlike his rodent colleague who, under clear Pennsylvania skies saw his shadow meaning six more weeks of winter, Bob is calling for an early spring.

   
The forecast is chillier for Beaumont residents. In that Texas Gulf Coast community, they rely on the prognostications of a 93-year-old alligator named Big Al. The gator says more winter, but we all know how sensitive cold-blooded reptiles are to the least bit of cool air.

Phil, Bob, and Al are just three of the animals that shine, or shadow, on Feb. 2 across North America. 

Groundhog-Day.com tracks 82 critters, including 46 alternative groundhogs, in Canada and the United States who make weather predictions on Feb. 2. You can use the website's map to find the creature forecaster in your area. WKNY news in Bowling Green, Kentucky, also is tracking this year's various Groundhog Day forecasts.

So far this year, it looks like Bob and his buddies calling for an early spring have an early edge.

I'm not a big fan of winter. I'm also not one to argue with tradition, or semi-wild animals. So I'm going to take the furry, scaly, armor-shelled, feathered, et al forecasters at their, uh, words and hope that their predictions of sustained warmth arriving sooner rather than later are correct.

To paraphrase Tim Riggins' famous Friday Night Lights last words, warmer Texas weather forever!

You also might find these items of interest:

• 5 reasons to wait to file your tax return
• 10 reasons to file your tax year return early
• Don't overlook the EITC, which could be worth thousands

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