Can I complete the form 7202 (Credits for Sick Leave and Family Leave for Certain Self-Employed Individuals) after I have already submitted my return?

[brianpatrickmcge]

I have W2 wages and 1099 wages.

My W2 employer does not pay or issue sick or family leave, as they just say "clear it with your manager and you're good. You're full-time, so we pay you regardless of whether you actually work 1 hour a week or 40 hours a week." Box 14 on my W2 is empty. I did not receive any special pay, but I also didn't lose any pay during my time off either.

However, my 1099 income was shut down for 4 months (April - July), causing my net 1099 income for 2020 to be $0. I did stay home for 2 weeks (14 days) with no 1099 income for myself and then also 10 days for my son who had to quarantine from school for 2 weeks.

I can use my 2019 income as the measurement, which earns us a very nice credit to the tune of $1,392... but since I wasn't sure if I could even claim it, not to mention not being able to e-File (which is required for my NY state taxes), I just opted to remove the form from my return.

So, can I claim this, and how do I amend my return?

[LinaJ2020]

If you have already submitted your tax return, you will have to wait until the IRS either accepts or rejects your return. You cannot return to the program to make any changes before that. 

If your return got rejected for whatever reasons, you can return to the program to reclaim your self employment family leave credit along with other changes.  You do not need an amendment 1040-X.

If your return has been accepted, you will have to amend your return by filing a form 1040X.  You should not try to amend your return until it has been fully processed and you have received your refund or your payment has cleared.

Beginning with the 2019 tax year, you can e-file amended tax returns. If you used TurboTax to prepare Form 1040-X, follow the software's instructions to e-file the amendment.

To see how to amend your taxes, click here: 

Steps to amend in TurboTax

How to file amendment

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, if you are a self employed person including those who receive a 1099-MISC, and if you were not able to work or telework due to reasons related to the coronavirus, you are eligible for this Sick Leave and Family Leave credits.  You would need to file a Form 7202 to figure the amount to claim for the credits. 

To see if you are eligible, click here: Who must file Form 7202

To learn more details about the credits, click here: Self Employed Credits

[brianpatrickmcge]

I did submit my return and the IRS did accept it but has not completed processing it. A friend told me that filing an amended form brings with it a much higher risk of audit. 

[LinaJ2020]

No, filing an amendment does not place you at a higher risk of audit.  

If you entered incorrect information on your tax return, you should do an amendment, especially when it can bring you a higher refund.  It is very common.  I will suggest you to wait until the IRS has completely processed your return, then follow the instructions from my previous post to amend.