Taxpayers who would rather crawl through broken glass than call the IRS about an amended return got some cheery news last week: More tax forms can now be amended electronically.

                By                    Vance Cariaga                

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In a June 23 announcement, the IRS said the new forms include Form 1040-NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return; Form 1040-SS, U.S. Self-Employment Tax Return (Including the Additional Child Tax Credit for Bona Fide Residents of Puerto Rico); and Form 1040-PR, Self-Employment Tax Return – Puerto Rico.

In addition, a new electronic checkbox has been added to Forms 1040/1040-SR, 1040-NR and 1040-SS/1040-PR to indicate that a “superseding return” is being filed electronically. A superseding return is one that is filed after the original return but submitted before the due date, including extensions.

Taxpayers also can amend returns electronically if there is a change to their filing status, or to add a dependent who was previously claimed on another return.

In a statement, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig called the new initiative “an important milestone.”

“This new feature will further help people needing to make corrections,” he added. “[It] will also assist the IRS with its inventory work on the current backlog of amended returns. This is another tool we’re using to help get us back on track.”

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About three million Forms 1040-X are filed by taxpayers each year, the IRS said on its website. Taxpayers can still use the Where’s My Amended Return? online tool to check the status of their electronically-filed Form 1040-X.

Meanwhile, Forms 1040 and 1040-SR can still be amended electronically for tax years 2019, 2020 and 2021, along with amended Form 1040-NR and corrected Form 1040-SS and Form 1040-PR for tax year 2021.