Amending an efiled return

[oceanlovin'ea]

Amended vs corrected

I was talking to someone at IRS on the Practioner Priority line this morning about another matter and decided to ask about this subject since he was a pleasant person to talk to.

He didn't really have a definitive answer for me but he did say he knew that an amended return would be processed faster than a corrected return. He said that an amended return is picked and looked at to see if the proper forms are there and the figures are correct and it is processed. When you send in a corrected return, they have to get a copy of the original return and compare forms and lines to see where the difference is and he said this all takes more time than to process an amended return.
So different desks or departments and corrected taking more time to do would mean longer to get money.

I think I will just do the 1040X.

Linda F

[taxea]

Amending an efiled return

Sometimes there are things that are not on paper. I called the preparers hotline, wrote the agent's name and ID down for reference and did what he told me was correct. And I have followed this ever since.
taxea

[bertrans]

I was talking to someone at IRS on the Practioner Priority line this morning about another matter and decided to ask about this subject since he was a pleasant person to talk to.

He didn't really have a definitive answer for me but he did say he knew that an amended return would be processed faster than a corrected return. He said that an amended return is picked and looked at to see if the proper forms are there and the figures are correct and it is processed. When you send in a corrected return, they have to get a copy of the original return and compare forms and lines to see where the difference is and he said this all takes more time than to process an amended return.
So different desks or departments and corrected taking more time to do would mean longer to get money.

I think I will just do the 1040X.

Linda F

I concur: go with the 1040X. However, that having been said, I am afraid that the pleasant speaking IRS person must have thought he was involved in an exercise for a dramatic writing class. The same IRS deoartment works both amended and 'corrected', and the necessary data are electronically available - including the 'original return'. Still, though, it was nice of him to elaborate.

[FEDUKE404]

Aroused my curiosity

I suggest waiting two-three weeks. You want to avoid the situatiion where the paper amended return hits the IRS computer system before the ELF original return does. This can and often does create problems with the proper procesing of the account, whether refunds or balance due. And when I say problems, I really mean problems - for the TP, and, derivatively, for you,.

Not to sound dense, but how could a paper return possibly arrive prior to one that was filed electronically? I do understand about an amended return chasing around a not-yet-found paper return, however.

In answer to the general thread, unless there is a time factor involved (like the three-year clock running down) I generally avoid amended returns until after tax season. Fortunately the software makes the actual preparation reasonably simple (if I did the original return, of course!) but you still have to deal with some administrative issues and client hand-holding as they are frequently confused.

About the only variance from this scenario is the very simplest of corrections ("sign this and mail it in") or those where large amounts of money/penalties are involved. Until I learned to tell most clients with broker 1099-DIVs to "wait a bit" I was running into a lot of doggone amended returns because of broker's "here's another version of your 1099.. Sorry!" situations.

FE

[FEDUKE404]

Which date ?

as I said, I got it straight from the horse's mouth...and Ed agrees...I thougaht we were pretty clear.
As long as the tax year is open (before 4/15) a corrected return should be submitted.
Once the tax year has closed (after 4/15) then an amended return must be prepared.

I don't know why this is not addressed in the instruction books, but I do know that this is the correct procedure. taxea

But does the tax year close on 04/15 or not until the "automatic" extension date of 10/15???

[bertrans]

Counterintuitive though it may seem, I assure you that a paper amended return can 'arrive', i.e. post to an account, before an electronically filed original. It happens. The system is not perfect: I hope you are not shocked.

[Bonnie]

[QUOTE=BOB W;51747]BP> This assumes that it is after 4/15 and doesn't mention before 4/15

Doesn't matter if it's before or after 4/15. Procedure is still the same. 1040X

Bonnie