How to fix a faultily filed federal return
Question: What should I do if I made a mistake on my federal return that I have already filed?
If you made a mathematical error it will be caught in the processing of the tax return itself so you may not need to correct the return, the IRS will do it for you.
If you did not attach a required schedule, the IRS will contact you and ask for the missing information.If you did not report all your income or did not claim a credit, you should file an amended or corrected return using Form 1040X , Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
When filing an amended or corrected return, include copies of any schedules that have been changed or any Form W-2 you did not include.
File 1040X only after you have filed your original return.
In most cases you can file for a credit or refund within 3 years of the filing date for the tax year you are correcting.
The IRS requests you allow up to 12 weeks for a correctly completed amended return which results in a refund.
The IRS site for information is: h t t p : / / w w w. i r s . g o v / p u b / i r s – pdf/i1040x.pdf New York State ‘s procedure is the same using an IT- 201X , attach any new or changed federal schedules and a copy of the original return and it’s attachments.
New York’s amended return information site is: http://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/2011/i nc/it201xi_2011.pdf
Questions for Deborah Ritz can be e-mailed to The Weekly Adirondack at WeeklyADK @yahoo.com
