Do you owe money if you amend your taxes and the federal return is less than your original return?

[dmertz · Accepted solution]

If the amendment increases your taxable income, you owe the additional tax shown on line 20 of the Form 1040-X.  The amount of your original refund does not change (unless the IRS detects a problem with your originally filed tax return independent of your amendment and adjusts your refund on its own).  In most cases you'll want to wait to amend until your original tax return has been processed just in case the IRS does detect a problem with your originally filed tax return and makes an adjustment on its own.

[VolvoGirl]

You will still get the refund from the first original return or still need to pay the first tax due.  In fact you should not even amend until the first return has fully processed and you get the first refund or your tax due payment has cleared.  

Then the amended return is only for the difference you get back or owe.  I think the cover sheet shows what the original return WOULD have been if you did it right the first time.

Go by the actual 1040X.  Line 18 should be your original refund amount and line 22 should be your additional refund.  If you paid on your original return it will be on line 16.  If there is an amount owed with the amendment, it will be on line 20.

If you have a tax due, do not send the 1040V.  Just include a check with the 1040X.  Ignore the 1040V.  That is for the original return or what the original return would have been if it didn’t need correcting.  Don’t pay the amount on the 1040V.  Pay the amount on the actual 1040X line 20.