Can I use 2023 version of Form 5500-EZ for 2024 filing? IRS website missing current form
I'm trying to file Form 5500-EZ for my small business retirement plan but I'm having trouble finding the 2024 version on the IRS website. It's frustrating because I like to get my tax paperwork done early and out of the way. Has anyone run into this issue? I'm wondering if I can just use the 2023 form and change the year manually? Would the IRS accept that or would it cause problems later? Anyone know when they typically release the updated forms for the new year? This is only my second year filing this form and I'd rather not wait until the last minute if I can avoid it.
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Jackson Carter
I'm a retirement plan administrator and deal with Form 5500-EZ filings frequently. The IRS typically doesn't release the new versions of forms until they're ready for that tax year's filing season. For Form 5500-EZ specifically, the 2024 version (for the plan year ending in 2024) won't be available until early 2025 when the filing season begins. You should NOT use the 2023 version with corrections for your 2024 filing. The forms are year-specific and contain particular line items and instructions that may change. Using the wrong year's form could lead to processing delays, notices from the IRS, or even penalties for incorrect filing. If you're looking to file for the 2023 plan year (which many plans are doing now in 2024), then you should be using the 2023 version of the form that's currently available. The deadline for calendar-year plans is July 31, 2024, unless you've filed for an extension.
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Kolton Murphy
•Does the same apply to all IRS forms? I'm trying to get ahead on some of my small business tax stuff too but struggling to find current forms.
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Jackson Carter
•Yes, this generally applies to most IRS tax forms. The IRS typically updates forms annually and releases them when they're needed for the current filing season. For example, Form 1040 for the 2024 tax year won't be available until January 2025 because you file 2024 taxes in 2025. For business forms with more frequent filing requirements (like quarterly forms), the IRS typically makes those available before their first due date of the year. So quarterly forms for 2024 would already be available since those first quarter filings were due earlier this year.
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Evelyn Rivera
I was in the exact same situation last year trying to file my 5500-EZ. After hours researching and calling around, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which saved me so much hassle. It has a form finder tool that tells you exactly which version to use and when new forms become available. I uploaded my previous year's form and it showed me what had changed and which version I needed. Super helpful when the IRS website is confusing or missing info!
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Julia Hall
•Does it work for all tax forms or just the 5500 series? I have a bunch of different forms I need to file for my business.
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Arjun Patel
•I'm a bit skeptical about these tax tools. How does it actually help with finding forms that aren't even released by the IRS yet? What's the cost structure like?
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Evelyn Rivera
•It works for pretty much all IRS forms - personal and business. I've used it for several different forms including 1099s, W-2s, and various business forms like 8832 and 941. For forms that aren't released yet, it gives you the expected release date based on historical patterns and notifies you when they become available. You can set alerts for specific forms you need. It also lets you pre-fill information from previous years' forms so you're ready to go as soon as the new version drops.
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Julia Hall
Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it actually works great! I was able to set alerts for all the forms I need for my business this year including the 5500-EZ. The system already had my info from last year's forms so it'll auto-populate when the new ones come out. Definitely beats constantly checking the IRS website and stressing about deadlines!
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Jade Lopez
I had the worst time trying to reach someone at the IRS about this exact form last year. After being on hold for literally 3+ hours, I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and wow, game changer! They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 45 minutes who confirmed I needed to wait for the correct year's form and couldn't substitute. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it basically holds your place in the phone queue so you don't have to listen to that horrible hold music for hours.
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Tony Brooks
•Wait, how does this actually work? Do they just call for you or something? Seems too good to be true with how impossible the IRS is to reach.
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Arjun Patel
•This sounds like a paid service trying to solve a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place. Why should we have to pay extra just to talk to the government agency we already fund with our taxes? I'm extremely doubtful this works any better than just calling yourself and waiting.
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Jade Lopez
•They don't call for you - they use a system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. Once they reach a real person, you get a call to connect you directly to that agent. So you don't waste hours of your day listening to hold music. It's definitely frustrating that we have to use services like this, but when I needed an answer quickly about my form filing, waiting 3+ hours wasn't an option for me. It was worth it to get a definitive answer directly from an IRS agent without the endless hold time.
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Arjun Patel
I can't believe I'm posting this, but I tried that Claimyr service when I got desperate trying to reach the IRS about my 5500-EZ filing deadline. I was super skeptical (as you can see from my earlier comments), but after trying to get through to the IRS for THREE DAYS with no success, I gave it a shot. Got connected to an agent in 37 minutes while I continued working. The agent confirmed that using last year's form with corrections would definitely cause problems and told me exactly when to expect the new form. Hate to admit when I'm wrong but this actually worked really well.
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Ella rollingthunder87
Just an additional tip from someone who files these forms annually - you can sign up for IRS e-News subscriptions and they'll actually email you when new forms become available. Go to irs.gov and search for "e-News Subscriptions" - they have different categories for business, tax pros, etc. I get notifications whenever forms relevant to my small business get updated. Saves me from constantly checking the website!
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Lilah Brooks
•Is this reliable? I've signed up for IRS notifications before for other stuff and either got spammed with irrelevant info or never got the updates I needed.
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Ella rollingthunder87
•It's been pretty reliable for me over the past three years. You do have to select the right categories or you'll get flooded with irrelevant updates. I specifically selected the "Small Business" and "Retirement Plans" categories since those apply to my situation. I usually get 1-2 emails per week during normal periods, and maybe 3-4 during peak tax season. They're clearly labeled so I can quickly see which ones matter to me. I've never missed a form update that was relevant to my business using this method.
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Yara Campbell
Another approach is to use the DRAFT versions of forms that the IRS posts before final versions. They're at irs.gov/draftforms. They usually post these a few months before final versions. Just remember you can't file draft forms! But you can use them to prepare and then transfer the info to the final form when released.
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Isaac Wright
•I did this last year and it backfired badly. The final 5500-EZ had different line numbers than the draft version and I had to redo everything. Not worth the hassle!
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KylieRose
Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I was definitely leaning toward just modifying the 2023 form but I'm glad I asked here first. @Jackson Carter your explanation about the forms being year-specific really cleared things up for me. I'll wait for the official 2024 version to be released rather than risk processing delays or penalties. In the meantime, I'll sign up for those IRS e-News subscriptions that @Ella rollingthunder87 mentioned - that sounds like a much better way to stay on top of when new forms are available than constantly checking the website. This community has been so much more helpful than trying to navigate the IRS website on my own!
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Jamal Brown
•Welcome to the community @KylieRose! I'm glad you found the advice helpful here. As someone who's also relatively new to filing these business forms, I've learned that this community is invaluable for getting real-world guidance that you just can't find on the IRS website. The e-News subscription tip is something I'm definitely going to set up too - beats the frustration of constantly refreshing web pages hoping new forms will magically appear! Good luck with your filing when the 2024 form comes out.
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