Whether you forgot, transposed numbers, or you received essential paperwork after you filed, there is still time to amend your tax return. The Daily Deduction has a few essential guidelines that you should know before you reach out to your local Liberty Tax Service office to file your amendment.
Amended Returns 101
The IRS requires that you mail in your amended return. Your tax preparer can make any corrections and print your amended return for you so that you can mail it the correct IRS address.
The IRS also requires that you file your amended tax return within 2 years from the date you paid your tax liability or within 3 years from the date that you filed your original tax return which is now being amended.
Deductions and Credits
If you discovered that you qualified for deductions or credits that you did not claim on your original return, you can reclaim these tax benefits by submitting an amended tax return. The inverse is also true: if you claimed deductions or credits that you did not qualify for, you can submit an amended return.
Dependents and Filing Status
If you did not claim a dependent that you are eligible to claim or if you mistakenly claimed an unqualified dependent, you must file an amended return.
Correcting your filing status is a different case. The IRS will allow you to switch from married-filing separate to jointly, however switching from married-filing jointly to married-filing separately is not allowed after the tax deadline.
An individual can change his or her filing status from Widow/Widower to Head of Household, if qualified.
Amend your tax return if:
- Your tax return was already accepted by the IRS.
- You are expecting a tax credit or refund. Reminder: You must amend your return within 3 years after the date you filed your original tax return or within 2 years after the date you paid the tax (the later of the two).
You do not need to amend if you:
- Forgot to attach a required form or schedule. The IRS will request them.
- Used eSmart Tax to submit your return through e-file and it was rejected. You can sign in to your eSmart Tax account, correct the errors, add the missing information and resubmit it.
- Made a small math error. If you used eSmart Tax to submit your return through e-file, small math errors are not likely. If you print and mailed your return, and the IRS reviewed your return, they typically correct any small math errors.