Amend Your Tax Return to Correct a Filing Mistake

Advice on how to fix an error on your tax return.

(Image credit: Andrey Popov)

I realize I made a mistake on my 2015 taxes. Is it too late to fix it?

9 Financial Fumbles You Can Fix

You generally have up to three years from the due date of the original return to file an amended return. Use IRS Form 1040X to note the changes you're making, and include revised copies of any supplemental forms that are affected (such as Schedule A for changes to itemized deductions).

You cannot e-file an amended return. Amended returns take up to 16 weeks to process, so if you owe additional taxes, pay as soon as possible to avoid interest and penalty charges. If the change you've made lowers your tax bill, the IRS will send you a refund.

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SEE ALSO:

6 Tax Filing Mistakes That Can Cost You Money

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Kaitlin Pitsker
Associate Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Pitsker joined Kiplinger in the summer of 2012. Previously, she interned at the Post-Standard newspaper in Syracuse, N.Y., and with Chronogram magazine in Kingston, N.Y. She holds a BS in magazine journalism from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.