Why sign in to the Community?

  • Submit a question
  • Check your notifications
Sign in to the Community or Sign in to TurboTax and start working on your taxes
New Member
posted Jun 4, 2019 4:51:03 PM

Can you amend a tax return more than once on turbotax 2017 (amend an amendment)?

Turbotax deluxe 2017

0 19 6400
19 Replies
Intuit Alumni
Jun 4, 2019 4:51:05 PM

Yes, you can file a second amended tax return.  

You should wait until the first amendment is processed and accepted by the IRS before sending in the second one, just to make sure they are done in the proper order.  Use the IRS's Where's My Amended Return? site. to track the first amendment.

To complete the second amendment you will need to manipulate your return by deleting the Form 1040X, which will leave you with a 1040 "original" return that includes the changes from the first amended return. Then, you will start the amend process over again to put in the information needed for the second amendment. When you start the second amendment the balance or refund due should be $0.

Returning Member
Oct 23, 2020 2:20:21 PM

What happens if I filed a 2nd amendment with out deleting the 1st one?

Level 15
Oct 23, 2020 2:25:07 PM

You don't delete the first one ... the second amendment starts with the first amendment's info in column A.  That is why you need to wait for the first amendment is FULLY processed before you send in another.  You have 3 years to amend a return so don't be in a rush or you could mess things up and processing could take way longer and/or trigger an IRS audit.

Level 15
Oct 24, 2020 7:23:06 AM

Start your amendment explanation as follows:

"This is amendment #2 for 2019. Column A based on amendment #1 previously submitted".

OR

Wait, as advised, then use the above statement anyway.

Level 15
Oct 24, 2020 9:37:54 AM

Many persons have reported here, and I myself have found that TurboTax has problems when you go to amend a second time.

 

Check your results carefully.

Level 15
Oct 24, 2020 10:07:54 AM

Amending an amended return can be done BUT ONLY if you complete the return in the correct order and you will usually need to use the downloaded version to make 1040X column A adjustments. 

Returning Member
Oct 24, 2020 2:12:13 PM

I submitted it online, filed online not mail from in so I was able to just adjust what was already amended 

Returning Member
Oct 24, 2020 2:24:40 PM

It was accepted so I guess I did it right?

Level 15
Oct 24, 2020 4:36:54 PM

LOL ... just because  it was accepted "FOR PROCESSING" you are not out of the woods  ... once they actually  process the return the errors may  be found and an IRS notice in the mail could arrive.  

Returning Member
Oct 24, 2020 4:38:42 PM

Well crap

Level 1
Apr 1, 2022 11:06:08 AM

I first tried that and column A of the new 1040X had the numbers from the original

rerurn.  I'm goint to try to delete the 1040X, if I can figure out how.

Level 15
Apr 1, 2022 11:29:38 AM

This thread is three years old.

--

You're wasting your time fiddling with TurboTax.

--

You must have a copy of the original tax return you want to update (or a transcript).

OR, if you amended previously, a copy of the revised Form 1040 for that amendment ( no transcript is available for that)

----

The simplest way is to prepare your correct tax return (using TurboTax for example, or other means) and print it.
Then lay the paper printouts of both returns (correct and original) side-by-side.
You now have all the information needed to prepare Form 1040-X by hand.
It's pretty straight-forward.

The blank form in fillable PDF format and its instructions are available at www.irs.gov.
Refer to the Instructions for what is to be attached to Form 1040-X.

Do not include your old 1040 nor your revised 1040 because the Form 1040-X reflects any changes there and becomes your new tax return.
Mail to the address shown in the Instructions.

--
There are other tax prep sites on the internet that will do your prior year tax return again (federal) for no charge.

Level 1
Apr 1, 2022 1:53:36 PM

I discovered that the hard way.

 

Eventually I opened 1040-X in the Forms view and hand entered numbers from my original filing, the first amended filing, and the 1040 being computed for the second amended filing.  You need numbers from all three to get it right.  Specifically tax owed (or refunds) for all three scenarios in order to get the final bill/refund right.  

 

The advantage of this approach is that this 1040-X is in the Turbotax world, so you can re-file the package electronically.  Using the Federal PDF would mean going to USPS.

Level 15
Apr 1, 2022 1:59:12 PM

Here's my old notes.....

 

I had to amend a 2013 return a second time. This is what I found.
To do a second amended return you need to use the Desktop CD/Download program installed on your computer. You start with the first amended return and try to delete the 1040X and state amended forms. I couldn't make that work so I had to start over with a NEW return. You need to make a new return that would look like what the return should have looked like after the first amended. So that will become your new "original" return. You can save the real original return with a new name and update it with the changes from the first amended return so you now have a new "original" return to start with. Be sure to save several times along the way and make copies to work in, in case you need to start over and try again. THEN when you have the new "original" return you can Amend it. You will probably need to enter all the prior refunds and/or tax due payments directly on the 1040X (and on state) using the Forms mode. I had to enter both a tax due I paid on the first original return AND a refund from the 1st amended return.

 

Basically, to do the second amended return you have to start with a dummy "original" return that incorporates the changes that were made by the first amended return. Then you can simply go through the normal amending process. There are two ways to produce the dummy original return. Both ways are hard to explain and to understand.

 

One way always works, for both federal and state, but it's for desktop only, and you have to have a copy of the .tax file for the actual original return that you filed, before the first amended return. You make a copy of the .tax file for the original return with a different name. Open the copy and make the changes that you made in the first amended return, but without going through the amending process. That gives you an original return that incorporates the changes from the first amended return. A variation of this method, if you don't have the .tax file for the original return, is to create a new return from scratch, reproducing the original return. But that's a lot of work and very error-prone.

 

The other way is to open the first amended return and delete the Form 1040X. That will leave you with what appears to be an original return, but incorporates the changes from the first amended return. This will usually work for the federal return only. In theory it should work for the state also, but some states don't let you delete the amended form, or it immediately comes back after you delete it. Sometimes deleting the state amended form makes the federal 1040X reappear. The results vary for different states, and sometime vary even for the same state, depending on the exact sequence of steps that you follow. With some states there seems to be a problem even deleting the federal 1040X.

Level 15
Apr 1, 2022 9:09:12 PM

@robbietaxslave 

 

I guess you are doing a 2021 amendment.

Let me know if you can e-File it.

Last year you could only submit 1040-X electronically one time.

Level 1
Apr 1, 2022 10:43:24 PM

I efiled the federal return without problems, i.e., they "accepted"  it.  No idea if there were going to be problems later, but I'm in a "bomb-proof" situation and ready to fight.

 

The first time I filed an amended state return there were no problems.  Today the second amended return was initially rejected.  We initially underpaid NC and they charged us interest.  The second amended return actually was in our favor, but the re-computed return said we'd paid $2 much interest and negative numbers there are rejected.    I couldn't  figure out how to do it right, so I just zeroed out the number.  That change passed the automatic screening process. If someone figures out that things don't add up, I'll just insist

hat they owe me two bucks.   I'm retired and don't have anything better to do with my time.

 

 

Level 1
Apr 2, 2022 3:55:23 PM

Yes, the feds accepted the second amended return within minutes.

 

The state of NC eventually accepted theirs, but I had to hand edit it and lose $2 in the process.  This amendment reduced the amount I owed the state and this caused a recalculation of the interest penalty so there was a line that said I owed them minus two bucks.  Negative numbers aren't allowed. I zeroed this to get it past their filter.

Level 15
Apr 2, 2022 4:28:15 PM

when you amend (federal) you're supposed to ignore penalties and let the IRS recalculate that.

so, you probably did the correct thing for your state amended return.

Level 15
Apr 4, 2022 4:39:40 AM

@robbietaxslave 

 

IRS says:

 

Filers will be allowed to electronically file up to three "accepted" Amended Returns.