Do I need to amend my return?

by TurboTax•13493• Updated a day ago

If you need to make a change to your return, you may be able to do it without having to amend your return. Amending your return means you’re filing Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

Filing Form 1040X is required in specific situations. In other situations, you can change your original return and you shouldn't file a new form.

If you haven’t e-filed or mailed your return yet, just open your return, make any changes, and file when you're ready. If you already printed your return, follow these steps to make changes.
If your tax return hasn't been processed yet or your e-filed return is still pending, wait at least until the return is accepted before amending. It’s recommended that you wait a few weeks after acceptance to ensure the IRS has processed the return before amending.
If your e-filed return is rejected, just make your changes and then resubmit or mail your return.

Are there other situations where I shouldn’t amend?

Don't amend your return if:

You have a government notice and it doesn't specifically tell you to amend your return (like if it’s telling you they made a math correction, or it’s a request for an additional form). Follow the instructions in the notice.
You entered the wrong bank account to get your refund.
You want to change the amount you claimed for Advanced Child Tax Credits on a 2021 return. The IRS will internally adjust your refund for you.
You want to change your Recovery Rebate Credit RRC) claim. The IRS will adjust your refund and process the return if you overclaimed or didn’t qualify for the 2020 or 2021 RRC. See the next section if you didn’t claim a RRC that you were entitled to.

What can I correct with an amended return?

Amend your return if you already mailed it, or the government accepted your e-file and you need to:

Add a tax form you omitted or received after filing (most commonly a W-2 or 1099)
Reflect a corrected tax form you received after filing (the corrected box is checked) and the new info changes your refund or tax due
Include a previously unclaimed dependent, deduction, or credit (like an unclaimed Recovery Rebate Credit)
Remove an ineligible dependent, deduction or credit
Correct a timing error with a tax impact, like income or deductions claimed in 2024 that should've been claimed in a prior tax year. In that case, you'll need to amend all affected tax years.
Change your filing status (for example, from Single to Head of Household).
Follow our nstructions to correct a program error (uncommon)

If your return has been accepted and you need to amend it, we have instructions on how to amend‌ it, and also how to amend a prior year’s return.