Amended Tax Return Status | Community Tax (2024)

Amended Tax Return StatusDemi Perreault2024-03-06T16:20:21+00:00

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Even if you’ve filed your own taxes year after year, fulfilling your fiscal duty as an American taxpayer doesn’t always get easier each April. The truth is, the stress of tax season can translate to mistakes on your tax return which could then cause you to miss out on a tax refund or have you owing money to the IRS when you shouldn’t have. Perhaps your income was calculated wrong, your filing status has changed, or maybe you’ve just made a simple mathematical error that threw your filing calculations out of sorts.

No matter where you went wrong or how your incorrect return impacted you, filing an amended tax return can resolve your dilemma.

If you landed on this article because you are looking forhelp with the IRS, or if you’re wondering “where’s my amended return?”, then rest easy knowing your return will likely be issued. Amended tax returns can take a while to process but it is the IRS’s responsibility to ensure they are.

To help restore some of your peace of mind, we’re going to address the following points in this article:

  • Do I Need to File for an Amended Return?
  • Where’s My Amended Return?
  • Amended Tax Return Status
  • How to File an Amended Tax Return
  • When to File an Amended Tax Return
  • Conclusion
  • Tax Preparation Help.
  • Contact Us
  • About

Click on the links above to skip ahead, or read end to end for a comprehensive overview of amended tax returns.

Even if you’ve filed your own taxes year after year, fulfilling your fiscal duty as an American taxpayer doesn’t always get easier each April. The truth is, the stress of tax season can translate to mistakes on your tax return which could then cause you to miss out on a tax refund or have you owing money to the IRS when you shouldn’t have. Perhaps your income was calculated wrong, your filing status has changed, or maybe you’ve just made a simple mathematical error that threw your filing calculations out of sorts.

No matter where you went wrong or how your incorrect return impacted you, filing an amended tax return can resolve your dilemma.

If you landed on this article because you are looking forhelp with the IRS, or if you’re wondering “where’s my amended return?”, then rest easy knowing your return will likely be issued. Amended tax returns can take a while to process but it is the IRS’s responsibility to ensure they are.

To help restore some of your peace of mind, we’re going to address the following points in this article:

  • Do I Need to File for an Amended Return?
  • Where’s My Amended Return?
  • Amended Tax Return Status
  • How to File an Amended Tax Return
  • When to File an Amended Tax Return
  • Conclusion
  • Tax Preparation Help.
  • Contact Us
  • About

Click on the links above to skip ahead, or read end to end for a comprehensive overview of amended tax returns.

Do I Need to File for an Amended Return?

If you discovered an error on your tax return but haven’t filed an amended return just yet, you’ll want to figure out if your situation requires to do so. According to theIRS, certain mistakes like mathematical errors, may not call for an amended return because those are typically rectified when your original return is being processed. An error on your filing status, however, would require you to file an amended tax return.

If you need to make a change to your:

  • Filing status
  • Income
  • Deductions
  • Credits

The IRS recommends filing an amended return in order to correct the error. We’ll discusshow to file an amended returna little later on in this post.

Where’s My Amended Return?

Let’s say you’ve already filed your amended return, but you’re left wondering “where’s my amended return?” because you haven’t heard anything back from the IRS, nor have you received your corrected tax refund or balance.

Before we discuss how you can check the status of your amended tax return, let’s take a look at the IRS’ amended tax return timeline to help you figure out if your return is taking abnormally long or just in the midst of being processed.

Amended Tax Return Timeline

Once filed, the amended tax return timeline goes as follows:

  • Up to 3 weeks for the amended return to populate in the IRS’s system
  • Up to 16 weeks for the return to be issued or the payment processed

If your case exceeds this timeline, you’ll likely need to check the status of your amended return.

Amended Tax Return Status

If you’re anxiously wondering, “where’s my amended return?”, you’ll be relieved to know that checking the status of your return is actually quite simple. Here’s how to check the status of your amended return.

In order to check the status of your amended return, you will need your:

  • Social Security Number or your Individual Tax ID Number
  • Date of birth
  • Zip Code

Once you have the above information handy, head to the IRS’Where’s My Amended Return tooland follow the automated prompts. After you’ve filled in all of your information, you’ll be able to view the status of your amended return.

What do the different amended statuses mean?

There are a few different results you may get when you check the status of your return, including:

  • Return received
  • Return adjusted
  • Return completed

But what do these mean for you? According to theIRS Frequently Asked Questions on Amended Returnspage, here’s what each amended status indicates:

  • If your amended return shows asreceived, the return has been received and is being processed. Once it’s been received, it can take up to 16 weeks to complete processing.
  • If your amended return shows asadjusted, it means that an adjustment has been made to your original return and will result in a tax refund, balance due, or no change to your tax liability, depending on how the correction impacts your tax return.
  • If your amended return shows ascompleted, the return has been completed and the IRS is mailing you follow-up information.

The IRS also notes that their Where’s My Amended Return database updates once per day, typically at night, so you can check the system daily to follow the status of your amended return.

Do I Need to File for an Amended Return?

If you discovered an error on your tax return but haven’t filed an amended return just yet, you’ll want to figure out if your situation requires to do so. According to theIRS, certain mistakes like mathematical errors, may not call for an amended return because those are typically rectified when your original return is being processed. An error on your filing status, however, would require you to file an amended tax return.

If you need to make a change to your:

  • Filing status
  • Income
  • Deductions
  • Credits

The IRS recommends filing an amended return in order to correct the error. We’ll discusshow to file an amended returna little later on in this post.

Where’s My Amended Return?

Let’s say you’ve already filed your amended return, but you’re left wondering “where’s my amended return?” because you haven’t heard anything back from the IRS, nor have you received your corrected tax refund or balance.

Before we discuss how you can check the status of your amended tax return, let’s take a look at the IRS’ amended tax return timeline to help you figure out if your return is taking abnormally long or just in the midst of being processed.

Amended Tax Return Timeline

Once filed, the amended tax return timeline goes as follows:

  • Up to 3 weeks for the amended return to populate in the IRS’s system
  • Up to 16 weeks for the return to be issued or the payment processed

If your case exceeds this timeline, you’ll likely need to check the status of your amended return.

Amended Tax Return Status

If you’re anxiously wondering, “where’s my amended return?”, you’ll be relieved to know that checking the status of your return is actually quite simple. Here’s how to check the status of your amended return.

In order to check the status of your amended return, you will need your:

  • Social Security Number or your Individual Tax ID Number
  • Date of birth
  • Zip Code

Once you have the above information handy, head to the IRS’Where’s My Amended Return tooland follow the automated prompts. After you’ve filled in all of your information, you’ll be able to view the status of your amended return.

What do the different amended statuses mean?

There are a few different results you may get when you check the status of your return, including:

  • Return received
  • Return adjusted
  • Return completed

But what do these mean for you? According to theIRS Frequently Asked Questions on Amended Returnspage, here’s what each amended status indicates:

  • If your amended return shows asreceived, the return has been received and is being processed. Once it’s been received, it can take up to 16 weeks to complete processing.
  • If your amended return shows asadjusted, it means that an adjustment has been made to your original return and will result in a tax refund, balance due, or no change to your tax liability, depending on how the correction impacts your tax return.
  • If your amended return shows ascompleted, the return has been completed and the IRS is mailing you follow-up information.

The IRS also notes that their Where’s My Amended Return database updates once per day, typically at night, so you can check the system daily to follow the status of your amended return.

Do I Need to File for an Amended Return?

If you discovered an error on your tax return but haven’t filed an amended return just yet, you’ll want to figure out if your situation requires to do so. According to theIRS, certain mistakes like mathematical errors, may not call for an amended return because those are typically rectified when your original return is being processed. An error on your filing status, however, would require you to file an amended tax return.

If you need to make a change to your:

  • Filing status
  • Income
  • Deductions
  • Credits

The IRS recommends filing an amended return in order to correct the error. We’ll discusshow to file an amended returna little later on in this post.

Where’s My Amended Return?

Let’s say you’ve already filed your amended return, but you’re left wondering “where’s my amended return?” because you haven’t heard anything back from the IRS, nor have you received your corrected tax refund or balance.

Before we discuss how you can check the status of your amended tax return, let’s take a look at the IRS’ amended tax return timeline to help you figure out if your return is taking abnormally long or just in the midst of being processed.

Amended Tax Return Timeline

Once filed, the amended tax return timeline goes as follows:

  • Up to 3 weeks for the amended return to populate in the IRS’s system
  • Up to 16 weeks for the return to be issued or the payment processed

If your case exceeds this timeline, you’ll likely need to check the status of your amended return.

Amended Tax Return Status

If you’re anxiously wondering, “where’s my amended return?”, you’ll be relieved to know that checking the status of your return is actually quite simple. Here’s how to check the status of your amended return.

In order to check the status of your amended return, you will need your:

  • Social Security Number or your Individual Tax ID Number
  • Date of birth
  • Zip Code

Once you have the above information handy, head to the IRS’Where’s My Amended Return tooland follow the automated prompts. After you’ve filled in all of your information, you’ll be able to view the status of your amended return.

What do the different amended statuses mean?

There are a few different results you may get when you check the status of your return, including:

  • Return received
  • Return adjusted
  • Return completed

But what do these mean for you? According to theIRS Frequently Asked Questions on Amended Returnspage, here’s what each amended status indicates:

  • If your amended return shows asreceived, the return has been received and is being processed. Once it’s been received, it can take up to 16 weeks to complete processing.
  • If your amended return shows asadjusted, it means that an adjustment has been made to your original return and will result in a tax refund, balance due, or no change to your tax liability, depending on how the correction impacts your tax return.
  • If your amended return shows ascompleted, the return has been completed and the IRS is mailing you follow-up information.

The IRS also notes that their Where’s My Amended Return database updates once per day, typically at night, so you can check the system daily to follow the status of your amended return.

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How to File an Amended Tax Return

Filing an amended tax return is a straightforward process. The IRS recognizes that mistakes happen, providing an easy way to manage an inaccurate tax return; Form 1040x. A taxpayer uses , and it is broken into three sections.

Column A

In column A you must input the amounts you filed on the incorrect (original) tax return.

Column B

Column B is going to be the total change or difference, that occurs between the inaccurate tax return and the amended one. It is the value change between column A and column C.

Column C

Column C, as you can deduce, is the corrected return, up-to-date with the accurate figures that need to be reflected.

Outside of the Three Columns

Additionally, you will need to indicate the tax year you are amending. If there happen to be multiple, separate each into their own envelope. We encourage you to send the forms via certified mail.

If you owe the IRS money, then you must include a check or money order with your amended return. Note: do not attach it specifically to Form 1040X, simply place it within the appropriate envelope. If you wish to pay online, the ‘payment options’ section of the IRS’s website can assist you.

Amended Tax Return Status | Community Tax (3)

Lastly, with each separate amended tax return, you must include a copy of the tax return in question. This may also require you to provide evidence for the changes you are making, such as including a W-2 or 1099 that are responsible. These copies must be listed in the order of the ‘attachment sequence no.’ which is found on the backside of Form 1040X.

When to File an Amended Tax Return

As we mentioned above, you will want to file an amended tax return if your income, filing status, deductions, or credits listed on your original return were not accurate.

If you filed a tax return or even a tax extension, then you have three years from the latest date-of-file to obtain your refund or credit. If you paid the tax, then that window becomes two years. If you need to file an amended tax return, then we encourage that you either file or seek help.

How to File an Amended Tax Return

Filing an amended tax return is a straightforward process. The IRS recognizes that mistakes happen, providing an easy way to manage an inaccurate tax return; Form 1040x. A taxpayer uses , and it is broken into three sections.

Column A

In column A you must input the amounts you filed on the incorrect (original) tax return.

Column B

Column B is going to be the total change or difference, that occurs between the inaccurate tax return and the amended one. It is the value change between column A and column C.

Column C

Column C, as you can deduce, is the corrected return, up-to-date with the accurate figures that need to be reflected.

Outside of the Three Columns

Additionally, you will need to indicate the tax year you are amending. If there happen to be multiple, separate each into their own envelope. We encourage you to send the forms via certified mail.

If you owe the IRS money, then you must include a check or money order with your amended return. Note: do not attach it specifically to Form 1040X, simply place it within the appropriate envelope. If you wish to pay online, the ‘payment options’ section of the IRS’s website can assist you.

Amended Tax Return Status | Community Tax (4)

Lastly, with each separate amended tax return, you must include a copy of the tax return in question. This may also require you to provide evidence for the changes you are making, such as including a W-2 or 1099 that are responsible. These copies must be listed in the order of the ‘attachment sequence no.’ which is found on the backside of Form 1040X.

When to File an Amended Tax Return

As we mentioned above, you will want to file an amended tax return if your income, filing status, deductions, or credits listed on your original return were not accurate.

If you filed a tax return or even a tax extension, then you have three years from the latest date-of-file to obtain your refund or credit. If you paid the tax, then that window becomes two years. If you need to file an amended tax return, then we encourage that you either file or seek help.

I Have Not Received My Amended Tax Refund

Again, please allow 16 weeks to pass before worrying about your tax refund. The IRS states specifically that a refund can take this amount of time to process. With that being said, if you have not received your tax refund or credit within that timeframe and you have utilized their ‘Where’s My Amended Return’ tool to check on youramended return status, then call the IRS at 1-866-464-2050 to inquire about your case.

Amended Tax Return Status | Community Tax (5)

I Have Not Received My Amended Tax Refund

Again, please allow 16 weeks to pass before worrying about your tax refund. The IRS states specifically that a refund can take this amount of time to process. With that being said, if you have not received your tax refund or credit within that timeframe and you have utilized their ‘Where’s My Amended Return’ tool to check on youramended return status, then call the IRS at 1-866-464-2050 to inquire about your case.

Amended Tax Return Status | Community Tax (6)

Amended Tax Return Tips & Facts

As with any tax filing, there is going to be the right way to do it, the wrong way to do it, and the information that differentiates the two. To stay in good standing with the IRS, keep the following tips in mind when dealing with amended tax returns.

You Don’t Always Have to File

Some tax return mistakes do not need to be amended. A common one is a math mistake, especially if it is minor, as the IRS will correct it on their end and notify you if a correction was made.

Don’t Forget to Explain

Part III of Form 1040X requires you to explain, with your own words, what went wrong in your original tax return. Exercising is brevity is recommended but withholding information is not. Be concise and honest. They want to understand why this amendment is occurring.

State Tax Form, Also A Problem?

After you have sent in Form 1040X, ensure that your state taxes do not also need to be amended. Sometimes, the root of the problem affects both tax filings.

Audit

While conclusive evidence that amended tax forms trigger audits does not exist, tax professionals tend to recognize a relationship between the two. Be aware that, especially if you are asking for a large return, the IRS may investigate your case.

Conclusion

Do not wait before filing an amended tax return—particularly if you are positive the original is inaccurate. Follow the process with meticulousness and allow 16 weeks after your submission to pass. If by then your amended tax returns have not been processed, reach out to the IRS, or seek the help of a tax professional.

Amended Tax Return Tips & Facts

As with any tax filing, there is going to be the right way to do it, the wrong way to do it, and the information that differentiates the two. To stay in good standing with the IRS, keep the following tips in mind when dealing with amended tax returns.

You Don’t Always Have to File

Some tax return mistakes do not need to be amended. A common one is a math mistake, especially if it is minor, as the IRS will correct it on their end and notify you if a correction was made.

Don’t Forget to Explain

Part III of Form 1040X requires you to explain, with your own words, what went wrong in your original tax return. Exercising is brevity is recommended but withholding information is not. Be concise and honest. They want to understand why this amendment is occurring.

State Tax Form, Also A Problem?

After you have sent in Form 1040X, ensure that your state taxes do not also need to be amended. Sometimes, the root of the problem affects both tax filings.

Audit

While conclusive evidence that amended tax forms trigger audits does not exist, tax professionals tend to recognize a relationship between the two. Be aware that, especially if you are asking for a large return, the IRS may investigate your case.

Conclusion

Do not wait before filing an amended tax return—particularly if you are positive the original is inaccurate. Follow the process with meticulousness and allow 16 weeks after your submission to pass. If by then your amended tax returns have not been processed, reach out to the IRS, or seek the help of a tax professional.

Amended Tax Return Status | Community Tax (2024)

FAQs

How do I know if my amended tax return was approved? ›

The Where's My Amended Return? (WMAR) online tool or the toll-free telephone number 866-464-2050 can be used for status updates three weeks after filing the return. Both tools are available in English and Spanish and have the most up-to-date information available.

What is happening when my amended return's status shows as completed? ›

When your amended return is completed, the agency is finished with its review of the documents you've submitted. "You will receive all the information connected to its processing by mail,” the IRS says.

How long after my amended return is adjusted will I get my refund? ›

More In File

You can check the status of an amended return around 3 weeks after you submit it. It will take up to 20 weeks to process your return.

How do I know if my amended tax return was denied? ›

Modified return status

You can monitor the status of your Form 1040X using where my amended return is? (WMAR) Online or toll-free at 866-464-2050 three weeks after the submission of the amended return.

How do I know if my taxes was approved? ›

Use the IRS Where's My Refund tool or the IRS2Go mobile app to check your refund online. This is the fastest and easiest way to track your refund. The systems are updated once every 24 hours. You can contact the IRS to check on the status of your refund.

Do amended refunds get deposited? ›

Since you must paper file your amended state return, your refund will typically be delivered via mailed check. However, some states do allow amended refunds to be direct deposited.

Does it really take 20 weeks for an amended return? ›

Current processing time is more than 20 weeks for both paper and electronically filed amended returns, as processing an amended return remains a manual process. However, including direct deposit information on an electronically submitted form provides a convenient and secure way to receive your refund faster.

What does amended return accepted mean? ›

In a tax context, to amend is to make changes to an e-filed return that has either been accepted by the government and processed, or a paper return that has already been mailed and processed.

How to speed up an amended tax return? ›

Request an expedited refund by calling the IRS at 800-829-1040 (TTY/TDD 800-829-4059).
  1. Explain your hardship situation; and.
  2. Request a manual refund expedited to you.
Jul 24, 2020

How do I know if my refund was adjusted? ›

How will I know the IRS changed my refund? Under the law, the IRS must send you a letter telling you about the change and giving you 60 days to ask the IRS to undo (“abate”) the change.

What happens after you amend your taxes? ›

When you amend a tax return, it can take up to 16 weeks to process even if you e-file. If you file an amended return, you should still get the refund figured on the original return. Then, if your refund is larger due to the change, you'll get the difference between the original and amended amounts.

Does IRS pay interest on amended returns? ›

Interest will be paid for a refund on an amended return; this interest will be taxable in the year it is received. Normal processing time is 12 to 16 weeks. Check the status of 1040-X using Where's My Ammended Return.

How do I know if my amended return went through? ›

You can check the status of your Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return using the Where's My Amended Return? online tool or by calling the toll-free telephone number 866-464-2050 three weeks after you file your amended return.

Is filing an amended return a red flag? ›

Note: filing an amended return does not affect the selection process of the original return. However, amended returns also go through a screening process and the amended return may be selected for audit.

Can I sue the IRS for not processing my amended return? ›

If you have filed an amended return or refund claim for a refund of taxes you have paid, and the IRS has denied your claim for refund, the only courts with jurisdiction to hear your case are United States district courts or the Federal Court of Claims (located in Washington, D.C.).

How long does it take for the IRS to approve a refund after it is accepted? ›

(updated December 22, 2023) We issue most refunds in less than 21 calendar days. However, if you mailed your return and expect a refund, it could take four weeks or more to process your return.

Should I amend my tax return for a small amount? ›

You should file an amended return if you need to correct an error or omission to your income, change your filing status, change your deductions, or to claim or correct a tax credit.

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