I made a mistake on my federal return already filed. What should I do?
Q) I made a mistake on my federal return already filed. What should I do?
A) According to the IRS: It depends on the type of mistake that you made:
- Many mathematical errors are caught in the processing of the tax return itself so you may not need to correct these mistakes.
- If you did not attach a required schedule, the IRS will contact you and ask for the missing information.
- If you did not report all of your income or did not claim a credit, you should file an amended or corrected return using Form 1040X(PDF), Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
When filing an amended or corrected return:
- Include copies of any schedules that have been changed or any Form(s) W-2 (PDF) you did not include. File 1040X only after you have filed your original return. Generally, for a credit or refund, you must file Form 1040X within 3 years (including extensions) after the date you timely filed your original return or within 2 years after the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.
- Please allow the IRS 8-12 weeks to process an amended return.
SEE Additional Information:
- Tax Topic 308, Amended Returns
- Instructions for Form 1040X (PDF), Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return
According to the IRS – Some tax returns take longer to process than others for many reasons, including when a return:
Includes errors
Is incomplete
Is affected by identity theft or fraud
Includes a claim filed for an Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax Credit. See Q&A below.
Includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which could take up to 14 weeks to process
Needs further review in general
We will contact you by mail when we need more information to process your return. https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions