FORGET SOMETHING ON YOUR 2018 RETURN?

If you forgot to include necessary information on your 2018 return, you are not alone. In addition, you may have received a revised 1099 or K-1 since filing your return. The IRS has struggled to deal with the enormity of the changes in the recent tax reform; despite significant pressure to update its regulations, forms, and publications, the IRS could not finish all of its tax-reform updates in a timely manner. Some IRS publications still have not been updated for 2018, and others even include errors. The new tax regulations have been dribbling out, but the IRS still has not provided sufficient guidance for some issues.

As a result of this uncertainty, you may receive a corrected 1099 or K-1. You may also need to update your return because, like most taxpayers, you did not fully comprehend all of the provisions of the new tax law thus failing to include an item of income, deduction, or credit. You also may have simply overlooked an item of income or missed a significant deduction. These mistakes happen, which is why the IRS and state tax agencies allow for amended tax returns.

A failure to report an item of income will generate an IRS inquiry; this typically happens a year or so after the filing of the original return—which is after the interest and penalties have built up. On the other hand, if you forgot a deduction and are owed a refund, you should not let that go by the wayside.

In some cases, marital problems lead taxpayers to file incorrectly—for instance, by incorrectly claiming children or not allocating income correctly. These and myriad other issues can be corrected by amending the returns. As warning, please note that, if you are married and filed a joint return, you cannot amend to file separate returns. However, a married couple’s separate returns can be amended into a single joint return.

Regardless of the issue, the solution is to file an amended return as soon as possible. This will minimize the penalties and interest in the case of omitted income and will also prevent you from getting those annoying letters from the IRS. Amended returns can also be used to claim an overlooked credit, to correct your filing status or number of dependents, to report an omitted investment transaction, to submit a delayed K-1, or to include any other information that should have been on the original return.

If an overlooked item results in a tax increase, filing the amended return quickly will mitigate the penalties and interest. Procrastination will lead to further complications when the IRS eventually determines that information is missing, so it is always best to take care of the issue right away.

Generally, to claim a refund on an amended return, you must file the amendment within three years of the date when you filed the original return, or within two years of the date when you paid the tax—whichever is later.

If any of these issues apply to you, please give this office a call so that we can prepare the necessary amended returns.