How far back can you amend a 1040 for missed medical expense deductions?

My mother had about $67K in medical expenses back in 2018, but we totally forgot to claim them on her taxes. With her AGI around $270K that year, I think she could've deducted about $40K of those expenses (the amount over 10% of her AGI). Since she was in the 24% federal bracket plus our state tax of 5.2%, that's a potential refund of nearly $12K that she missed out on! I'm getting conflicting info about how far back you can actually amend tax returns. Most blogs and tax sites I've found say there's a 3-year statute of limitations for amendments, which makes sense for fixing errors the IRS might catch. But when I checked the actual IRS website, it only says returns from the last three years can be e-filed for amendments, while older ones need to be paper filed. It doesn't specifically say you CAN'T amend older returns. Has anyone successfully amended a tax return from 5 years ago? I'm worried about opening a can of worms by submitting an amendment from that far back. Would the IRS even process it? Would it trigger some kind of audit or review of her other returns? Is it worth the hassle for the potential refund?

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19 comments

Dylan Campbell

•8M

You've hit on an important distinction. The IRS does have a 3-year statute of limitations, but that's primarily for the IRS to assess additional tax or for you to claim a refund. For claiming a refund specifically, the rule is generally "3 years from the filing date or 2 years from when you paid the tax, whichever is later." For your mother's 2018 return (filed in 2019), that window has unfortunately closed for claiming a refund. While technically you can file an amended return on Form 1040-X for any year, the IRS won't issue a refund for periods outside this window. The limitation you found about paper filing vs. electronic filing is just about the method of submission - not about whether you can amend or receive a refund. One exception to this rule might be if your mother had special circumstances that would qualify her for an extended deadline, such as physical or mental impairment that prevented filing, or if she had filed for extensions during that period.

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Dylan Campbell

•8M

There are very few exceptions to the 3-year rule for claiming refunds. Even major mistakes generally won't extend the window unless they fall under specific categories like foreign tax credits or business bad debts, which have special provisions. Filing an amended return outside the refund statute wouldn't typically trigger audits of more recent years. The IRS generally evaluates each tax year independently. However, they likely won't process a refund claim that's outside the statute of limitations regardless of how valid the deduction would have been.

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Dmitry Kuznetsov

•8M

After spending hours on the phone with the IRS about a similar issue, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much frustration. I uploaded my old tax docs and transcripts, and it immediately showed me which years I could still amend and what deductions I missed. For your situation with the medical expenses, it would quickly tell you if you're still within any exception periods and what your options are. The tool analyzes your specific situation rather than giving general advice that might not apply. It even showed me a special provision that applied to my case that none of the tax preparers I spoke to had mentioned.

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Dmitry Kuznetsov

•8M

It's incredibly accurate because it's built specifically for analyzing tax documents and identifying opportunities based on your actual tax situation. It goes well beyond what most preparers catch because it's programmed with the entire tax code including exceptions and special provisions. You do need to upload your documents, which is actually more secure than having a service connect directly to IRS systems. For your state tax questions, it handles both federal and state issues together, showing you exactly where they align and differ. In my case, it identified state-specific deductions I could still claim even when federal options were closed.

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Miguel Ramos

•8M

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that the previous commenter recommended. I was in a similar situation with missed deductions from 2019, and it immediately clarified my options. The system analyzed my documents and showed me that while I couldn't get my federal refund due to the 3-year limitation, my state actually had a 4-year window that I was still within! The tool highlighted a provision I'd never have found on my own that applied to my specific situation. Saved me from filing paperwork that would have been rejected federally while still helping me recover about $2,200 from my state. Definitely worth uploading my docs to get that clarity rather than guessing or getting generic advice.

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Zainab Ibrahim

•8M

If you're still trying to contact the IRS about this, good luck getting through their phone system. I spent 6 weeks trying to reach someone about an amended return question. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and got connected to an IRS agent in under 25 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with confirmed that while you technically can file the amendment, they won't issue refunds beyond the 3-year window except in very specific circumstances. She was able to check my specific situation and tell me exactly which exceptions might apply in my case. Saved me from filing paperwork that would have been rejected anyway.

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Zainab Ibrahim

•8M

It uses a combination of technology and human operators to navigate the IRS phone tree efficiently and get you in the callback queue. They basically stay on hold so you don't have to, then call you when an IRS agent is about to come on the line. They don't access any of your tax information or personal details. You're still the one speaking directly with the IRS agent - Claimyr just handles the frustrating waiting process. It's like having someone stand in line for you at the DMV, then text you when it's almost your turn. The service is particularly useful for these time-sensitive tax situations where waiting weeks to get through could mean missing deadlines.

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Connor O'Brien

•8M

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was so desperate to get answers about my own amended return that I tried it. Honestly shocked that it worked. I had been trying for THREE MONTHS to reach someone at the IRS about a similar amendment question. Got connected in about 35 minutes and the IRS rep confirmed what others here have said - for the 2018 tax year (filed in 2019), you're unfortunately outside the 3-year window for claiming a refund. The rep did mention a few narrow exceptions that might apply in cases of physical/mental disability or military service in combat zones, but for regular medical expense deductions, the window has closed.

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Yara Sabbagh

•8M

Just so you know, the exact rule is in Internal Revenue Code section 6511(a). For a refund claim, you must file within 3 years from when the return was filed or 2 years from when the tax was paid, whichever is later. For 2018 returns filed by April 2019, that window closed in April 2022. Even if you file an amendment now, they'll reject the refund claim as untimely. One thing to consider - did your mother file any extensions for that 2018 return? If so, the 3-year clock would start from the actual filing date, not the original due date.

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Yara Sabbagh

•8M

Unfortunately, the nature of the medical expenses generally doesn't extend the statute of limitations, regardless of how serious or ongoing they were. The main exceptions to the standard 3-year rule involve very specific situations like physical/mental disability that prevented filing, military service in combat zones, or certain disaster declarations. Even with significant ongoing medical issues, the clock still starts when the return was filed or due. The IRS is very strict about these deadlines and rarely makes exceptions outside the specifically defined categories in the tax code. This is one of those frustrating situations where the deduction was legitimate, but the time to claim it has simply passed.

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Samantha Hall

•2M

I'm sorry to say this, but based on everything discussed here, your mother is unfortunately outside the refund window for her 2018 medical expenses. The 3-year statute ran out in April 2022 (assuming she filed by the original due date in 2019). However, don't give up entirely on tax savings! A few things to consider: 1. **Future planning**: Make sure you're tracking all her ongoing medical expenses for current and future tax years. If she's still having significant medical costs, you don't want to miss them again. 2. **State taxes**: Some states have different amendment periods than federal. It might be worth checking if your state allows longer amendment windows. 3. **Other missed deductions**: While you're reviewing her situation, check if there are any other deductions or credits from more recent years (2021-2024) that might have been missed and are still within the amendment window. The $12K potential refund stings, but unfortunately the IRS is extremely rigid about these deadlines. Even filing the amendment now would likely just result in a rejection letter citing the statute of limitations. Better to focus that energy on making sure nothing gets missed going forward.

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