Place to Check on Amended Returns

[ADGFINANCIAL]

First I heard of this. I get a lot of calls from clients on status of their Amended returns. Now a place to send them.

http://www.irs.gov/Filing/Individuals/Amended-Returns-(Form-1040-X)/Wheres-My-Amended-Return-1

[JohnH]

Try this one:

http://www.irs.gov/Filing/Individuals/Amended-Returns-(Form-1040-X)/Wheres-My-Amended-Return-1

[Guest Taxed]

Perfect. Thanks.

But they are down today no cash to run it!

[Jack from Ohio]

Operators are NOT standing by today.

[jklcpa]

Better save that link so you can send it to the clients. The only way I found it was to search the IRS site for "amended". From the address bar, it appears to be somewhere within the "Filing" tab at left and then buried within "Individual" somewhere, but I couldn't find it from there. If I've missed where the client would easily find the clickable link, please direct me. Thanks.

[TaxMan60601]

You can use this path: Filing -> Individuals -> 1040 Central -> "Use Online Tools - below is just a sample of what's available" (by the way, very useful area, I think) -> 4-th is the link we are looking for: Where's My Amended Return?

[jklcpa]

Thanks TaxMan, I did click on the 1040 Central and saw the Online Tools link that was in the text. I also saw that this service is in a planned outage through 5/28. That page describes the info needed in the 3-step process, but there is currently no link anywhere on the page, and that's why I thought it must be somewhere else. I'm assuming that there is normally a link to continue on through the process and that the icon for the link will be restored when the outage ends. The link on the similar page for "Where's My Refund" still appears but it is nonfunctional at the moment.

[TaxMan60601]

Exactly! That are my understandings too. I also presume that since the page seems to have been 'reviewed or last updated on 21-May-2013', could it be a brand new service!?

Anyway, you are correct - there is no such visible and working link on the web-site at the moment. But it is okay since all these online tools starts with a 'Planned Outage' note.

Will wait and see ...

[TaxMan60601]

Just curious. Has someone been able to review the functionality of the tool so far?...

My clients with amended returns do not meet the criteria so they are unable to use the link and check their status.

Is it showing any specific and make sense data at the end or?

[JohnH]

I forwarded the link to a client who used it Tuesday night. He learned via the online tool that the amended return had not been received. He called IRS and they verified that fact - advised him to submit it again. We could have already known this had he sent it via Certified Mail with RR or Express Mail per my instructions, but since he didn't follow directions it was nice to have an alternate way to verify things.

I expect he will be using the online tool again in the coming weeks. (I don't necessariy expect him to learn from experience to follow instructions with respect to mailing - "It costs too much".

[Don in Upstate NY]

I used the tool back in April when it was first released. My amended return from last November was listed, with a status of "please call 1-800-xxx-xxxx." I called; they had received the form but said page two was missing. Since page two has the signatures, without that page it was NOT a return and could not be processed. (OK...) But since it was not a return, they also couldn't notify me that the page was missing. (What ... ?) Anyway, they advised me to resubmit the whole package, which I did.

As of this morning, it shows my return was received on April 5 and is being processed.

[Guest Taxed]

I agree with JohnH. Taxpayers who are "too cheap" to pay for the certified mail when dealing with IRS in these matters are screwing themselves. I have had IRS waive penalties and interest when the taxpayer produced a receipt that a submission or payment was mailed timely and just because IRS did not get around to cashing the check for 3 months, it is not the taxpayers problem.

I hope MeF is upgraded very soon to accept 1040X electronically.

[jklcpa]

It works. I just checked an individual return with an NOL carryback to 2010. After entering the SSN, DOB and zip code, the next screen appeared that said a return for the following year(s) appears in our system. My screen only had the one year with a radio button beside it. Clicking on that brought up a status bar with three sections of "received", "adjusted", and "completed". Below that a statement showed the date the return was received, that it is in process, and to wait 8-12 for processing to be completed.

[Jack from Ohio]

I agree with JohnH. Taxpayers who are "too cheap" to pay for the certified mail when dealing with IRS in these matters are screwing themselves. I have had IRS waive penalties and interest when the taxpayer produced a receipt that a submission or payment was mailed timely and just because IRS did not get around to cashing the check for 3 months, it is not the taxpayers problem.

I hope MeF is upgraded very soon to accept 1040X electronically.

Electronic filing of 1040X is not even on the radar for the IRS. I was at a presentation last fall with an IRS rep. We asked him directly about the possibility of e-filing 1040X. "I would not expect any action on this for at least 5 years. They are having difficulty with the systems they have already put in place, and do not presently have plans to add 1040X."

[Guest Taxed]

Bummer! Frankly MeF has not made any difference to my operation so far. I batch submit my e-files each day and then I wait for the Acks to roll in in due course. My clients are not calling me within 24 hours to check status and the few rejects i get i can usually fix right away!

[TaxMan60601]

Nice. Useful too. It works, so it seems like now really there is a place where one can check the status of Amended return and in the same time a word to spread among the clients.

Thanks for the feedback.