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Harper Thompson

Filed using 2023 1095-A instead of 1095-B - Return already accepted by IRS, what now?

I'm freaking out a bit here and need some advice. When filing my taxes last week, I accidentally used my 2023 1095-A form instead of the 1095-B form that I was supposed to use. I didn't realize my mistake until today when I was organizing my tax documents. My return has already been accepted by the IRS, and I'm worried about what this means. Will this trigger an audit? Do I need to file an amended return immediately? I had marketplace insurance for part of the year but then switched to employer coverage, which is why I had both forms. The premium tax credit amount on my 1095-A was around $3,200, which obviously affected my refund amount. I'm concerned the IRS will think I'm trying to claim credits I'm not entitled to. Has anyone dealt with this kind of mix-up before? What's the best way to fix this without making things worse?

This is actually a pretty common mistake, so try not to panic too much! Since your return was already accepted, you'll need to file an amended return (Form 1040-X) to correct the information. The 1095-A is for Marketplace insurance and is used to reconcile advance premium tax credits, while the 1095-B shows proof of coverage from other sources like employer plans. Using the wrong form definitely impacts your tax liability since you likely claimed premium tax credits you weren't entitled to for the period you had employer coverage. I recommend gathering both your 1095-A and 1095-B forms, then working through the correction process. File the amendment as soon as possible - the IRS is more lenient when taxpayers voluntarily correct their mistakes rather than waiting for them to discover the error.

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Do you know if there's a penalty for this kind of mistake? I'm worried the IRS will think I was trying to commit fraud or something.

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There's typically no penalty for this type of honest mistake, especially when you voluntarily correct it by filing an amended return. The IRS understands that tax forms can be confusing. They generally only assess penalties when there's evidence of willful neglect or fraud. As for concerns about fraud accusations, filing the amendment yourself demonstrates good faith. Just make sure to include a brief explanation in the "Part III - Explanation of Changes" section of Form 1040-X stating you accidentally used the wrong healthcare form.

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I had a similar issue last year and found out that AI tools can be super helpful for this kind of situation. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my tax forms after discovering I'd messed up with health insurance documentation. The tool helped me figure out exactly what information was incorrect and showed me how to properly amend my return. It saved me from spending hours trying to decipher the IRS instructions! I was worried about making new mistakes in my amended return, but the AI walked me through the whole process and even highlighted the specific fields I needed to change based on comparing my 1095-A and 1095-B forms.

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How does it work? Like do you just upload your tax documents and it tells you what to do? Or do you need to know what's wrong already?

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Sounds interesting but I'm skeptical about giving my tax info to some random AI tool. Is it actually secure? I mean tax docs have ALL your personal info.

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It works by analyzing your tax documents when you upload them - you don't need to know exactly what's wrong, that's the whole point! It compares what you filed with the correct documents and identifies the discrepancies for you. In your case, it would spot the differences between using the 1095-A versus the 1095-B and show you the impact on your refund amount. As for security concerns, they use bank-level encryption for all documents. I was hesitant too, but they explain on their site that your data is encrypted and they have a pretty comprehensive privacy policy. The convenience factor made it worth it for me since I was totally lost trying to figure out the amendment process myself.

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Just wanted to update everyone - I ended up trying https://taxr.ai after posting my skeptical comment. I'm actually really impressed! It identified exactly where I went wrong on my taxes (not the same issue as OP, I had accidentally double-reported some income). The system highlighted the specific lines on my return that needed changing and generated a clear explanation I could include with my 1040-X. It even calculated the correct tax difference so I knew exactly what my new refund amount should be. Much easier than the hours I spent last year trying to figure out an amendment by myself!

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If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about your amendment (which is likely because their phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE), I recommend using Claimyr. I was in a similar situation with an amended return last year and spent days trying to reach someone at the IRS with no luck. Found this service called Claimyr at https://claimyr.com that basically gets you through to an actual IRS agent without the waiting. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I was connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes who walked me through exactly what I needed to do with my amended return and confirmed they received it.

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Wait, how does this actually work? The IRS phone system is notoriously awful. Are they somehow jumping the line or something?

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Yeah right. Nothing gets you through to the IRS faster. I've tried everything and always end up waiting 2+ hours or getting disconnected. Sounds like a scam to me.

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The service works by navigating the IRS phone tree for you and waiting on hold in your place. When they reach an actual human agent, they call you and connect you directly. It's basically like having someone wait on hold for you so you don't have to waste hours of your day listening to that horrible hold music. I was skeptical too! But it's not about "cutting the line" - you're still in the same queue as everyone else, but you don't have to personally sit through the wait. The day I used it, they said the estimated wait was over 2 hours, but I just went about my day and got a call when an agent was available. Definitely beats getting disconnected after waiting forever.

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I need to apologize and follow up on my previous comment. I was really skeptical about Claimyr but decided to try it since I was desperate to talk to someone about my amended return. I'm honestly shocked - it actually worked! I got a call back within about 25 minutes and was connected to an IRS agent who helped clarify exactly what I needed to do with my amendment. The agent confirmed that as long as I file the 1040-X within 3 years of my original filing date, there's no penalty for the honest mistake. Saved me hours of frustration and got me the answers I needed. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong about something!

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u should also double check if the refund amount has already been deposited to ur account. if it has, remember that ull probably have to pay back some or all of it when u file the amendment. don't spend that money if u know ull need to send it back!!! i learned this the hard way last yr when i had a similar situation (different issue but still had to amend) and had already spent my refund. had to come up with payment + small interest charge. not fun.

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Thanks for the warning! Just checked and yes, the refund was just deposited yesterday. That's part of what made me panic when I realized my mistake today. I'll definitely set that money aside until this gets sorted out. Do you remember how long your amendment took to process? I've heard it can take months.

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My amendment took about 14 weeks to process last year. It might be different now tho since irs processing times change all the time. The good thing is that they'll send u a letter confirming they received your amendment within a few weeks, so at least you'll know it's in their system. My best advice is to file the amendment ASAP and include a really clear explanation. I think mine took longer because I didn't explain things well and they had to send me a letter requesting more info. Definitely use the explanation section on the 1040X to clearly state you used 1095-A instead of 1095-B by mistake.

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Don't forget to recalculate your advance premium tax credit on Form 8962! That's the form you use with the 1095-A, and it's probably what affected your refund amount. When you file your amendment, you'll need to show the correct calculation based on the period you actually had marketplace coverage. Also, keep in mind that electronic filing isnt available for amended returns. You'll have to print and mail it the old-fashioned way. Make copies of EVERYTHING before sending it.

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Are you sure about not being able to e-file amendments? I thought they started allowing that a couple years ago. I e-filed an amendment last year through TurboTax.

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