Amending from single to married filing jointly for 2020 - can I do this now?
Just finished my 2022 taxes and realized I totally messed up my 2020 return. I got married in October 2020 but filed as single 🤦♂️. Complete oversight on my part. The issue is I claimed the student loan interest deduction, which I now know I can't claim if filing as married filing separate (learned that the hard way this year). But I could claim it if we filed married filing jointly. My husband still hasn't filed his 2020 or 2022 taxes yet (and yes, I bug him about it constantly). He always has too much withheld, so he's definitely due a refund from the IRS. My question is: can I file a 1040X amendment to change from single to married filing jointly for both of us? Or does he need to file his own 2020 return first (either as single or MFJ) before I can amend mine? I want to switch to MFJ to avoid penalties and get the additional refund we're entitled to, but I'm not sure if I can amend to include my husband if he hasn't filed anything yet. Thanks for any help!
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Giovanni Mancini
You're in luck! You can definitely amend your 2020 return from single to married filing jointly using Form 1040X. Since your husband hasn't filed for 2020 yet, you'll need to prepare a joint return that includes both your information and his information. The process works like this: You'll file Form 1040X and attach a complete joint return (Form 1040) that shows both your and your husband's income, deductions, credits, etc. This joint return will replace your previously filed single return. Since your husband hasn't filed yet, there's no need for him to file separately first - you're essentially filing for both of you with this amendment. Make sure you both sign the 1040X. Since this would be a joint return, both spouses must sign even though only one filed originally. Also, keep in mind that the deadline for claiming a refund for 2020 is generally April 15, 2024, so you still have time!
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Amara Nnamani
•Thanks for the quick response! So just to be clear, I can include all his income/deductions on the 1040X even though he never filed his own return for 2020? And we'll both need to sign it? Also, do we need to include copies of his W-2s and other tax documents with the amendment since the IRS doesn't have those on file yet?
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Giovanni Mancini
•Yes, you'll include all his income and deductions on the joint return you're submitting with your 1040X. Since you're changing your filing status to married filing jointly, you're essentially creating a completely new return that covers both of you. Both of you will need to sign the 1040X for it to be valid as a joint return. You should definitely include copies of all his W-2s, 1099s, and other tax documents with your amendment. Since the IRS hasn't received these documents for him yet (because he hasn't filed), they'll need these to verify the information on your joint return. Make sure to attach all supporting documents that show both your income sources.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
After struggling with almost the exact same situation last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it completely simplified the amendment process for me. I had filed as single in 2019 when I was actually married in June that year, and my wife hadn't filed either. The tool analyzed our situation, confirmed we could file an amendment without her having filed first, and helped organize all the documentation needed for the 1040X. It highlighted the exact sections I needed to complete and caught a few other deductions we qualified for that I had completely missed. Saved me hours of stress trying to figure out the right approach.
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Dylan Cooper
•How accurate is this for complicated tax situations? I'm considering amending my returns due to similar filing status issues but I also have rental property income and some freelance work. Does it handle more complex scenarios?
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Sofia Morales
•Did you end up having to mail in the amendment or were you able to e-file it? I've heard horror stories about paper amendments taking forever to process.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•It handles complex scenarios impressively well. The system has specific modules for rental income, self-employment, and other complicated tax situations. It asked me detailed questions about my rental properties and business expenses that even my previous tax preparer missed. The analysis goes deeper than just the basic filing status issues. For amendments, I did have to mail mine in as e-filing wasn't available for my particular situation. But the system generated a complete package with all the forms needed and detailed instructions on exactly what to include and where to send it. My amendment was processed in about 14 weeks, which was faster than I expected based on what others experienced.
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Sofia Morales
Just wanted to share a follow-up after trying taxr.ai for my amendment situation! I was honestly blown away by how smooth the process was. I uploaded my previous return and our W-2s, and it walked me through exactly what needed to change for our married filing jointly amendment. What really impressed me was how it flagged that we were eligible for additional credits beyond just the student loan interest deduction. We ended up getting back almost $1,300 more than I initially calculated! The system generated a perfectly formatted 1040X with detailed instructions for signing and mailing. Just got confirmation that the IRS received our amendment last week. Such a relief to have this handled properly.
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StarSailor
If you're worried about the IRS taking forever to process your amendment (which they absolutely will), I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually speak with an IRS agent. I filed an amendment last year changing from single to MFJ and after 5 months of silence, I needed to know what was happening. I tried calling the IRS directly for weeks - always got the "call volume too high" message and hung up on. Frustrating doesn't begin to describe it. Then I found Claimyr through a YouTube video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and was absolutely shocked when they got me connected to an actual IRS representative in about 25 minutes. The agent confirmed my amendment was received but sitting in backlog, and they were able to expedite it since it was past their normal processing time.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•Wait, how does this actually work? The IRS phone lines are impossible to get through - I've tried dozens of times. Are they somehow jumping the queue or what?
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Ava Garcia
•This sounds too good to be true. I've literally spent HOURS on hold with the IRS only to get disconnected. If this actually works, it would be worth trying, but I'm skeptical that anyone can magically get through the IRS phone system when millions of others can't.
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StarSailor
•They use an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. They constantly redial until they get through the "call volume too high" barrier, then they ring your phone once they have a real person on the line. It's not magic - just technology doing the tedious waiting for you. Yes, it's basically like having someone wait in line for you. The IRS doesn't give them special access - they're just using technology to handle the frustrating part of the process. I was connected to the exact same IRS representatives anyone would reach if they got through, but without spending my entire day trying.
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Ava Garcia
I need to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway since my amendment has been pending for 9 months with zero updates. I figured I had nothing to lose. I got the text that an agent was on the line within 45 minutes (I was honestly shocked), and spoke with an incredibly helpful IRS representative who found my amendment in their system. Turns out it had an error code that no one had addressed because they're so backlogged. The agent was able to fix the issue while I was on the phone and told me to expect processing within 4 weeks. Never would have known this without actually talking to someone! For anyone dealing with amendment issues - being able to actually speak with the IRS makes all the difference.
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Miguel Silva
One thing to watch out for when amending from single to MFJ - if either of you had any income-based student loan repayments or healthcare subsidies calculated based on your single income, this could potentially affect those calculations. I amended to MFJ and our combined income pushed us into a different repayment bracket, which resulted in having to repay some of my wife's healthcare premium tax credit.
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Amara Nnamani
•I hadn't even thought about that! Did you end up owing money back on those subsidies? Were you still better off filing jointly even with having to repay some benefits?
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Miguel Silva
•Yes, we did have to repay about $780 of premium tax credits that my wife had received based on her individual income. However, we still came out about $1,450 ahead overall by filing jointly due to the lower tax brackets, student loan interest deduction, and a higher standard deduction. It's definitely worth doing the math both ways before amending. In most cases, MFJ is better financially, but there are situations where the loss of income-based benefits can offset the tax advantages. I used a tax calculator to compare both scenarios before submitting our amendment.
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Zainab Ismail
Has anyone successfully e-filed a married filing jointly amendment? I'm in the same boat (filed single for 2020 but got married that year) and really don't want to deal with the paper filing delays.
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Connor O'Neill
•Unfortunately amendments changing filing status from single to MFJ still need to be paper filed in most cases. I worked as a tax preparer and we had to paper file all of these types of amendments last year. The IRS is slowly expanding what can be e-filed for amendments, but filing status changes especially when adding a whole new person to the return typically require paper filing.
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