How to set up direct deposit for refund on amended 1040-X form?

The IRS instructions can be confusing sometimes! Here's what's going on with the 1040-X and direct deposit: The direct deposit option (lines 31-33) is only available when you file the 1040-X electronically - these lines don't appear on the paper form. If you're looking at a PDF downloaded from IRS.gov, you're seeing the paper version which doesn't include the direct deposit fields. If you're filing electronically through tax software, the program should prompt you for your banking information during the filing process. That's where you'll enter your routing and account numbers. If you're filing a paper 1040-X (mailing it in), direct deposit isn't an option. The IRS will send a paper check to your address of record if you're due a refund. Just make sure you don't check the box on line 23 for applying it to estimated tax unless that's what you want. The good news is processing times for electronically filed 1040-X forms are typically faster than paper (though amended returns still take longer than regular returns).

Just wanted to share my experience! I struggled with the same confusion about direct deposit for my amended return. I ended up using https://taxr.ai to scan and analyze my 1040-X form, and it immediately pointed out that the direct deposit fields only appear when filing electronically. The taxr.ai tool was super helpful because it actually showed me a side-by-side comparison of the paper form versus what the electronic version includes. It also gave me a detailed breakdown of my amended return and pointed out a couple of calculation errors I'd made that would have caused problems. Saved me a ton of frustration trying to figure out why the forms didn't match the instructions!

Well I tried the taxr.ai site after being totally skeptical, and I have to admit it was actually really helpful. I had a similar amended return situation but mine was for a missed education credit. The system immediately flagged that I was filing a paper amendment but trying to get direct deposit (which doesn't work). It analyzed my whole return, found the education credit issue, and even showed me where to enter the banking info if I switched to electronic filing. What surprised me is that it also found a completely different issue with how I'd calculated my AGI after the education credit adjustment. Would have caused another amendment if I hadn't caught it! Definitely worth checking out if you're doing amendments.

Hey there! After trying to call the IRS about five times with no luck on my 1040-X questions, I finally got through using https://claimyr.com. They have this system where they basically wait on hold with the IRS for you, then call you when an agent is actually on the line. You can see how it works in this demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what others here are saying - direct deposit is only available when filing the 1040-X electronically. She also mentioned that if you use tax software for e-filing, make sure it's from the current year, even if you're amending a previous year's return. Apparently older versions of tax software might not have the direct deposit capability for amended returns since this is relatively new. Glad I finally got definitive answers straight from the source!

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After waiting on hold with the IRS for 2+ hours and getting disconnected THREE SEPARATE TIMES, I broke down and tried the service mentioned above. Got connected to an actual IRS person in about 45 minutes (while I was making dinner, not sitting with a phone glued to my ear). The agent confirmed that for my amended return, I needed to use tax year 2022 software even though I was amending my 2021 return to get the direct deposit option. He also mentioned something nobody else said - if your amended return shows a refund under $10,000, direct deposit is available, but for larger amounts they'll mail a check regardless of what you select. My refund was just under that threshold so I was able to use direct deposit. Honestly shocked that the service actually worked exactly as described.

Just a heads-up about amended returns and direct deposit that I learned the hard way. Even when you file electronically with direct deposit info, amended returns take MUCH longer to process than regular returns. I filed a 1040-X electronically in March with direct deposit info, and my refund still took about 14 weeks to hit my account. The IRS "Where's My Amended Return" tool showed it was "being processed" the entire time with no updates. So don't panic if it takes a while - that's unfortunately normal for amended returns, even with the electronic filing and direct deposit options.

Is anyone else confused about which tax software actually supports electronic filing of 1040-X with direct deposit? I tried using last year's TurboTax to amend my 2022 return and it forced me to print and mail it!

Great thread everyone! I wanted to add one more thing that might help others who find this post. If you're still unsure about whether to file electronically or by paper, here's a quick decision guide: **File electronically (with direct deposit) if:** - You have access to current-year tax software that supports 1040-X e-filing - You want faster processing (though still slower than regular returns) - You want direct deposit for your refund - Your refund is under $10,000 (as Carmen mentioned above) **File by paper if:** - You don't have access to compatible tax software - You're comfortable waiting for a mailed check - Your situation is very complex and you prefer having physical documentation One tip I learned from my tax preparer: if you do choose electronic filing, print and keep a copy of everything for your records anyway. The electronic system is great, but having that paper backup never hurts, especially for amended returns which can take months to process. Also, make sure your current address is up to date with the IRS regardless of which method you choose - whether for direct deposit bank verification or for mailing checks/correspondence.

Thanks for this incredibly detailed thread everyone! As someone who's been lurking in this community for a while, I finally decided to create an account because this discussion saved me so much time and confusion. I was in the exact same boat as Luca - downloaded the PDF form and couldn't figure out where lines 31-33 were supposed to be. After reading through all these responses, I went ahead and purchased the 2023 version of TurboTax (found it on sale for $30) and was able to e-file my amended 2022 return with direct deposit. The process was actually pretty straightforward once I had the right software. TurboTax walked me through entering my corrected W-2 information and automatically calculated the differences. When I got to the refund section, it prompted me for my bank account details just like filing a regular return. One thing I'll add that nobody mentioned - the software also let me upload a photo of my corrected W-2 rather than manually typing everything in. Really helpful since I tend to make transcription errors with those long employer ID numbers. My amended return was accepted within 24 hours, and now I just have to wait for the processing (which as Andre pointed out, will likely take several months). But at least I know the direct deposit will work automatically when it's ready!