Tax filing question

[Mannix]

I am such an idiot...filed a paper return and mistakenly checked Single instead of Married Filing Jointly....all information in the return is filled out using Married Filing Jointly procedures/deductions/tax rates/etc....obviously also included is both of our social security numbers and signatures as well. Think this will still get kicked back to do a 1040X, or do you think there is enough supporting information for the IRS to easily see it was in error and then correct it themselves??? Thank you in advance!!!

 

[Runwildboys]

Fill out the 1040X. Better safe than sorry, if you want to avoid the possibility of an audit. Also, you'll instantly know if your return amount has changed, and if necessary, fix it now.

 

[Mannix]

Fill out the 1040X. Better safe than sorry, if you want to avoid the possibility of an audit. Also, you'll instantly know if your return amount has changed, and if necessary, fix it now.

I read where I have to wait for someone to officially tell me to do so or it could cause more confusion…the amount won’t change because I did the return correctly…just checked the incorrect status…my main question is if they will realize it was a simple error and change the status for me and process the return.

 

[Rockport]

I am such an idiot...filed a paper return and mistakenly checked Single instead of Married Filing Jointly....all information in the return is filled out using Married Filing Jointly procedures/deductions/tax rates/etc....obviously also included is both of our social security numbers and signatures as well. Think this will still get kicked back to do a 1040X, or do you think there is enough supporting information for the IRS to easily see it was in error and then correct it themselves??? Thank you in advance!!!

Don’t count on them seeing it was an error. Staffing within the IRS has been cut drastically. Most returns are completed via automatic methods with no human intervention. What are your W4 claims? That will determine if they take more taxes from you.

 

[CashMan]

Is it possible to just move out of the country?

 

[Mannix]

Don’t count on them seeing it was an error. Staffing within the IRS has been cut drastically. Most returns are completed via automatic methods with no human intervention. What are your W4 claims? That will determine if they take more taxes from you.

Thanks Rock. Yeah....I am already preparing myself to send in a 1040X. I am sure they won't go the extra yard to verify a simple error....however, when they start to look at our return its going to be OBVIOUS that its a joint return....forgot to mention as well that there will be two W'2s they will plainly see as well. W4 has zero bearing....I 100% prepared it using all Joint filing information...not Single. In 2020 when I sent in our 2019 return, they debited the small amount we owed within THREE days of us mailing the return.....then lost the return.....didn't tell us for TEN months in November....then lost the SECOND one....thus, they had no recent tax return info to go off of and screwed us out of around $1200 stimulus money.

 

[Creeper]

My best guess is if you do nothing the IRS with send you a letter asking you to clarify the error. Most returns are processed by computer now and it is unlikely a human will see this before the computer does. If it gets kicked out to a human you will get a letter. You are not in trouble though. People make clerical errors all the time. As long as you pay what you owe the rest is just record keeping.

 

[Creeper]

BTW, I congratulate and commend you for doing your own taxes. So many people prefer to let someone else do their taxes for them. They miss the experience of doing taxes themselves and the learning experience that comes with it. There is nothing like trying to understand what all that mumbo-jumbo we go through every year.

 

[Tabascocat]

It is a clerical error and you probably won’t hear anything more about it. As long as you paid correctly, don’t sweat it.

 

[Rockport]

Thanks Rock. Yeah....I am already preparing myself to send in a 1040X. I am sure they won't go the extra yard to verify a simple error....however, when they start to look at our return its going to be OBVIOUS that its a joint return....forgot to mention as well that there will be two W'2s they will plainly see as well. W4 has zero bearing....I 100% prepared it using all Joint filing information...not Single. In 2020 when I sent in our 2019 return, they debited the small amount we owed within THREE days of us mailing the return.....then lost the return.....didn't tell us for TEN months in November....then lost the SECOND one....thus, they had no recent tax return info to go off of and screwed us out of around $1200 stimulus money.

On my W4 I claim married by filing single so they take out more tax every pay check but I get a big tax return so the W4 does matter depending on what you’ve declared there.

I don’t think a human is going over every tax return. I could be wrong.

 

[Mannix]

BTW, I congratulate and commend you for doing your own taxes. So many people prefer to let someone else do their taxes for them. They miss the experience of doing taxes themselves and the learning experience that comes with it. There is nothing like trying to understand what all that mumbo-jumbo we go through every year.

I’m a weirdo…I actually enjoy the challenge of doing it…the worksheets suck though…especially the social security one that I did for the first time this go round.

 

[Rockport]

I’m a weirdo…I actually enjoy the challenge of doing it…the worksheets suck though…especially the social security one that I did for the first time this go round.

Turbo Tax makes it easy.

 

[Mannix]

It is a clerical error and you probably won’t hear anything more about it. As long as you paid correctly, don’t sweat it.

I’m getting money back…does that matter? So you are thinking they will switch it to Married Filing Jointly for me and not make me do the X???

 

[Tabascocat]

I’m getting money back…does that matter? So you are thinking they will switch it to Married Filing Jointly for me and not make me do the X???

It shouldn’t, I have made that mistake before about 15 years ago. Never heard a peep from them. One year, I shorted the IRS about $200……I got a letter three weeks later. They are pretty fast when it comes to collecting

 

[Hardline]

I had an accountant do my taxes this year because it being the first year for no tax on overtime. That alone almost doubled the amount on my tax return.

 

[Runwildboys]

I had an accountant do my taxes this year because it being the first year for no tax on overtime. That alone almost doubled the amount on my tax return.

The overtime doesn't make it any harder to file. It's one more entry...at least with TaxAct it is. Just make sure you only enter the "authorized overtime" amount, and not the whole amount of OT. It's basically a third of the full OT amount, at time and a half.
I screwed up and entered the full amount, and had to file a 1040X to amend the return. Then I found out most truck drivers aren't eligible for the OT deduction.

 

[Runwildboys]

Turbo Tax makes it easy.

How much do they charge? TaxAct is what I've used for years, and it gets more expensive every year.

 

[Mannix]

I am a VERY stubborn dinosaur....is there a cheap and EASY online program that halfway resembles an actual 1040? A friend of mine uses and swears by the $30 online return offered by H&R Block, but he says it looks NOTHING like a 1040....I think I'd freak out managing my way through something like that,

 

[Relayer]

I read where I have to wait for someone to officially tell me to do so or it could cause more confusion…the amount won’t change because I did the return correctly…just checked the incorrect status…my main question is if they will realize it was a simple error and change the status for me and process the return.

I don't think they can.

 

[Rockport]

How much do they charge? TaxAct is what I've used for years, and it gets more expensive every year.

Same with TurboTax. I use to be $45 for 1040 now it’s over $100.