How does amending your taxes affect you?
Andrew Mclaughlin
Published Apr 10, 2026
Therefore, changes you make to your federal return are likely to affect your state return. For example, if you file the amended tax return to increase your refund by adding the charitable contribution deduction you omitted, it may also reduce your state tax if it also allows for charitable deductions.
Amending a return is not unusual and it doesn’t raise any red flags with the IRS. In fact, the IRS doesn’t want you to overpay or underpay your taxes because of mistakes you make on the original return you file. Whenever someone files an original or amended tax return, the same audit selection process prevails.
Can you file an amended tax return electronically?
If you need to amend your 2019 or 2020 Forms 1040 or 1040-SR you can now file the Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return electronically using available tax software products. What are some reasons that an Amended Return cannot be filed electronically? Amended Returns must be filed by paper for the following reasons:
Why do I need to amend my tax return?
Practitioners and clients must also determine their respective levels of risk averseness. An amended return can protect a client from accuracy-relatedpenalties imposed by Sec. 6662 for an understatement of tax shown on an originally filed return.
Can you file an amended tax return for 2020?
Only Tax Year 2019 and 2020 1040 and 1040-SR returns can be amended electronically at this time. Amended Returns for any other tax years or tax types must be filed by paper. There must be a record of an “original” electronically filed return for Tax Year 2019 or Tax Year 2020.
Which is the correct form for an amended tax return?
Use Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return (PDF) to correct a previously filed Form 1040 (PDF), Form 1040A (PDF), Form 1040EZ (PDF), Form 1040-NR (PDF), Form 1040-NR-EZ (PDF), or to change amounts previously adjusted by the IRS.