How Long Do I Have Left To Fix My Tax Pro's Mistake on 2021 Amendment?

So in 2021 my husband and I filed our taxes separately. We each submitted our returns on different days back in April 2022. Fast forward to October 2024, we hired this tax guy to prepare an amendment to change our filing status to married filing jointly. But he completely messed it up. What happened was we got a refund from the IRS initially, but then a few weeks later got slapped with a HUGE bill from them. After going back and forth (and getting help from some tax forums online), the preparer finally admitted he screwed up. Turns out he didn't include our kids on the amendment which is why we owed about $6k more than we should have. Now he's saying he'll fix everything with another amendment, but I'm worried about time limits. Don't we only have three years from the original filing date to amend? I honestly don't trust this guy anymore. He wouldn't give me a straight answer when I asked about the deadline, and he promised the corrected amendment would be ready last week but nothing yet. Plus he kept insisting the IRS was wrong until some people online pointed out exactly which lines on the form were incorrect. The worst part is I tried contacting other tax preparers in our area and they're all saying they aren't taking new clients right now. Feeling stuck and anxious about missing a deadline!

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18 comments

TechNinja

•8M

This is definitely a stressful situation! To directly answer your question: Yes, you generally have 3 years from the original filing deadline to file an amended return. For your 2021 return that was originally due April 18, 2022, you would have until April 18, 2025 to file an amendment. So you still have some time, but I wouldn't delay. Given your experience with this preparer, I'd strongly suggest getting the amendment done correctly as soon as possible. If he continues to drag his feet, you might need to explore other options. One thing to note - since you originally filed separately and are amending to file jointly, both you and your spouse need to consent to this change by signing the amended return. Also, make sure your children are properly claimed with their SSNs and that all supporting schedules are correctly updated.

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TechNinja

•8M

If you've already paid this preparer for the amendment service, I'd give them one more chance with a firm deadline - perhaps 2 weeks. Make it clear you expect the work completed by that date, and request a review meeting where they explain every line item to ensure your children are properly included. If they miss that deadline or you're not confident in their work, I would absolutely look for someone else, even if it means traveling to another town. The peace of mind is worth it. Also, consider asking your current preparer for a refund if they can't complete the work properly - a professional should acknowledge when they've made significant errors.

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Keisha Thompson

•8M

I was in a similar situation last year and found https://taxr.ai super helpful for checking my amended return. After my tax guy messed up my amendment, I ran my docs through their system before submitting the correction. The site analyzes all your tax documents to spot inconsistencies - it caught that my preparer had missed some major deductions on my Schedule C and incorrectly calculated my education credits. I uploaded my W-2s, 1099s, and the proposed amended return, and it flagged issues I wouldn't have caught myself. Might be worth running your amended return through before filing, especially since you're already suspicious of this preparer's work. At least then you'd know if there are still mistakes before submitting to the IRS.

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Keisha Thompson

•8M

It definitely works for amended returns! You just upload your original return along with the proposed amendment, and it analyzes the differences. For stock sales, it would check if all your transactions are properly accounted for and if the basis was calculated correctly. As for comparing to professional review, it's different but complementary. The AI looks at every number systematically and checks for consistency across all forms, catching things that might be missed in a manual review. For filing status changes and dependents, it absolutely checks those elements - it specifically looks at eligibility requirements for dependents and verifies the tax implications of filing status changes.

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Paolo Bianchi

•8M

I tried https://taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and wow - so glad I did! Used it to check my amended return for missed stock sales from 2022. Turns out my accountant had the proceeds right but screwed up the cost basis on several transactions, which would have cost me about $3,800 in extra taxes. The system highlighted each problematic entry with notes explaining why the numbers didn't match my 1099-B forms. Funny thing is I almost didn't bother because I thought my amendment was simple, but those "simple" changes had errors that would have triggered a CP2000 notice for sure. Caught the mistakes before filing and had my accountant fix them. Definitely saved me another round of amendments!

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Olivia Clark

•8M

If you're having trouble getting your tax pro to respond, I'd recommend using https://claimyr.com to get direct help from the IRS. I was in a similar situation with an amendment problem last year and couldn't get straight answers from anyone. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I had been trying for weeks on my own. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent was able to pull up my records and tell me exactly what was wrong with my amendment and what needed to be fixed. They even put notes in my account about the situation. Way better than relying on this tax preparer who keeps giving you the runaround!

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Olivia Clark

•8M

It works by using a combination of technology and timing to navigate the IRS phone system. They've developed a system that keeps trying various IRS numbers and extensions until it gets through, then it calls you and connects you directly to the agent. It's like having someone continuously redial for you but much more sophisticated. The IRS isn't impossible to reach - just extremely difficult because of the call volume. What Claimyr does is handle all that waiting and navigating for you. I was skeptical too until I tried it. The longest part was actually explaining my situation to the IRS agent once I got connected, not the waiting to get through.

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Natasha Petrov

•8M

I need to apologize for being so skeptical about Claimyr. After posting that comment, I was still desperate about my 2020 amended return so I decided to try it anyway. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent explained that my amended return was stuck in processing because of a mismatch between my reported income and what they had on file from third parties. They put notes in my account and told me exactly what document to send to resolve it. Just got confirmation yesterday that my amendment is finally processing correctly after being stuck for over 2 years. If I hadn't gotten through to a real person, I'd still be in limbo. Definitely worth it for complex amendment issues like what the original poster is dealing with.

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Connor O'Brien

•8M

Something important nobody mentioned yet - when filing an amendment to change from MFS to MFJ, make sure your preparer includes BOTH of your original separate returns with the amendment. A friend of mine had their amendment rejected because they only included one spouse's original return. Also, your preparer should be using Form 1040-X and checking the box that indicates you're changing your filing status. They'll need to complete all three columns (original amount, net change, correct amount) for each line item that's changing. And definitely double-check that your kids are properly claimed with their SSNs!

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Connor O'Brien

•8M

Absolutely request copies of EVERYTHING before he submits! You should get: 1) The complete Form 1040-X 2) Any supporting schedules that have changed 3) A copy of both your original separate returns that are being attached 4) Any worksheets he used to calculate the new numbers Review each form carefully and make sure your children are properly listed with their names and SSNs on the appropriate form. Check that the "net change" column accurately reflects the difference between your original filing and the corrected amounts. Don't let him submit anything until you've had a chance to review it all. Given his track record, you're right to be cautious!

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Amina Diallo

•8M

Has anyone mentioned that you can actually do this amendment yourself? Since you're not confident in this tax preparer, you might consider DIY. For a filing status change from MFS to MFJ, you'll need: 1) Form 1040-X 2) Both original tax returns 3) A newly completed joint return (as if you had filed jointly originally) The form has instructions, and you can call the IRS with questions. I did this exact amendment last year (changing from MFS to MFJ for 2020) and while it was a bit tedious, it wasn't actually difficult. And I felt better knowing I had control over the process.

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