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Level 1
January 19, 2021
Solved

Amending

  • January 19, 2021
  • 4 replies
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Is there a way to amend the 2020 tax return if it still says pending? 

Best answer by xmasbaby0

 

No.

 

Did you click that big orange button that said “Transmit my return now?”  If you did that, you cannot do anything to fix it yet.  The IRS will begin to accept/reject 2020 returns on Friday, February 12, 2021.  You have to wait for the email that tells you if your return was accepted or rejected.  If you do not see an email, check your spam folder.

 

 

 

You cannot change or add anything on the return that you just e-filed, nor can you stop it.  It is too late, just like when you put an envelope in a US mailbox on the corner.

 

If you left out a W-2, a 1099G, or a dependent, or a 1099 etc…DO NOT change your return while it is “pending.”  The changes will go nowhere.

 

Now you have to wait until the IRS either rejects or accepts your return.  If your return is rejected, you will be able to go into your account and make the necessary changes to your tax return and re-submit your return.

 

 If the IRS accepts your return, however, then you have to wait longer until it has been fully processed and you have received your refund.  THEN you can prepare an amended tax return and mail it in. You have to be able to work from that return exactly the way it was when it was e-filed originally.  You will need to use a form called a 1040X. return.  

 

 Meanwhile, DO NOT go in and start changing anything on your return in the system, or you will make a mess for yourself.  Sit tight and wait until you see what the IRS does with the return you just e-filed

4 replies

xmasbaby0Level 15Answer
Level 15
January 19, 2021

 

No.

 

Did you click that big orange button that said “Transmit my return now?”  If you did that, you cannot do anything to fix it yet.  The IRS will begin to accept/reject 2020 returns on Friday, February 12, 2021.  You have to wait for the email that tells you if your return was accepted or rejected.  If you do not see an email, check your spam folder.

 

 

 

You cannot change or add anything on the return that you just e-filed, nor can you stop it.  It is too late, just like when you put an envelope in a US mailbox on the corner.

 

If you left out a W-2, a 1099G, or a dependent, or a 1099 etc…DO NOT change your return while it is “pending.”  The changes will go nowhere.

 

Now you have to wait until the IRS either rejects or accepts your return.  If your return is rejected, you will be able to go into your account and make the necessary changes to your tax return and re-submit your return.

 

 If the IRS accepts your return, however, then you have to wait longer until it has been fully processed and you have received your refund.  THEN you can prepare an amended tax return and mail it in. You have to be able to work from that return exactly the way it was when it was e-filed originally.  You will need to use a form called a 1040X. return.  

 

 Meanwhile, DO NOT go in and start changing anything on your return in the system, or you will make a mess for yourself.  Sit tight and wait until you see what the IRS does with the return you just e-filed

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
Level 2
February 1, 2021

I need the 1099 file

Level 2
February 8, 2021

I just received an amended SSA—social security Benefit statement how do I amend my  income taxes

Level 2
March 12, 2021

How do you amend a return that has been accepted by the IRS. Originally I filed a return showing only one stimulus. It turns out that both were received and the one I thought was missing was included as part of the refund.  the return has been accepted by IRS, but as yet no refund received. . What can I do?

Level 4
March 12, 2021

I would advise waiting until 2 things happen:

 

1) TurboTax is updated to allow for 1040-X processing as well as your state amendments.  At this point they are giving 3/18 as the date, but that is subject to change as Biden just signed in law letting some level of unemployment be non-taxable at the Federal level depending on AGI which Intuit has likely pre-coded but has to pass Quality Assurance so that and 1040-X *might* wait until a single update.   

 

2) As we are pre-April 15th, the IRS cannot really go after you for not declaring that yet.  They do have to wait until the filing deadline or extensions given to someone.  Your options are thus:

 

a) File a paper 1040-X today using the data from you return and adding in the additional income which you can calculate using TurboTax.  This does involve altering your filed/accepted return but you can always save as a different file since you're just doing A/B testing on the added income.  You'd mail that form to the IRS (it's a 2 page form so easy) but then you need to address if your state(s) have amendment forms available.

 

b) Wait a little until TurboTax is updated for 1040-X as that should also be well before 4/15 so this prescription is for patience.

Level 2
February 12, 2021

I forgot to add a 1099R to my return so I need to amend it, it is no longer pending and has been accepted however the option to amend the return is not available 

Level 4
March 10, 2021

I submitted my Federal 2020 and NJ+NY state taxes and they've all been accepted.

 

Now today, I got an email about getting some distribution for a company I worked for last in 2018.   I get logged into a site and there's a 2020 1099-DIV which was never mailed, texted, or e-mailed to me by the required date.

 

However the IRS sides with businesses on this and I will be considered to have underpaid even without knowing about this.  If it's substantial income (which it's not for me) it can be a high penalty so ideally I'd like to amend my return before April 15, 2021.

 

While I went ahead and entered the 1099-DIV, I can easily remove it.

 

But we should all be told when we can do the 1040-X electronically since TurboTax started this last year (per IRS) so clearly 2020 we can e-file 1040-X but just when can we do this?   There's no facility in the program yet and while we should wait for a refund, that doesn't make the software update itself so there's 2 dates:

 

1) When will TurboTax 2020 enable e-file of 1040-X

2) Individually we need to wait until returns are finalized which may be before or after 1)

Level 15
March 10, 2021

 

Do not try to change anything on your return now.  When you amend, your Form 1040X has to be prepared from the return exactly the way it looked when you filed it originally.   You have to wait.   Once your return has been processed you will complete a Form 1040X   --- which is not yet available --- and submit it to amend the mistakes made when you filed your original return. It takes the IRS at least four months to process an amended return.

The Form 1040X you need is under revision and is not ready yet.  The Form 1040X does not become available in the software until March 18 (subject to change).

 

 

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/new-information-for-form-1040-x-filers

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
Level 4
March 11, 2021

When we do get the update within TurboTax (est 3/18) it should be super easy for it to do the basic calculations, as the manual 1040-X form is really that easy too.

 

E-filing it will speed things up all the way around, but if as in my case, I will owe more than originally e-filed, there's really no pressing need to e-file it since we have until April 15th to amend with zero penalty, just as-if it were our original return being mailed on that date.

 

My personal experience with the USPS is that you need certified mail and return receipt else in 12 years of me mailing (prior to e-filing ability), twice I didn't use that and twice they claimed not to receive it, however knew my exact to the penny tax which would have required them to know what was on my Schedule A in those returns (e.g., Charitable donations) so had to argue that with the IRS to not pay late filing/late payment fees successfully.

 

To another point: will state amendments also be readied for 1040-X timing?  Different states use different form names for amendments.