What Is the Status of My Updated Tax Return?

The IRS provides several online tools to assist you in following the progress of your submission for updated tax return. Especially if you’ve submitted Form 1040-X to modify a tax return from a previous year.

But don’t anticipate outcomes immediately. Your case may not appear in the IRS’s “Where’s My Amended Return?” feature for up to three weeks. To check the status of your Form 1040-X, you must call the IRS within the same time limit.

Remember that it could take some time for you to track your files before anything happens. The IRS estimates that processing your amended return could take up to 20 weeks.

To Track My Amended Return, What Will I Need?

Before being able to track your amended return, you must first submit some basic information to verify your identity.

The following information should be ready when you phone or log in:

Your tax ID number or Social Security number.
Your birth date.
Your ZIP code.

You can use this information to find any modified tax returns you’ve filed going back three years. Also, keep in mind that the “Where’s My Refund” feature offered by the IRS online is distinct from the updated return lookup method.

How Far Along Is My Revised Return?

The IRS will provide you with a succinct summary of the status of your return once you have discovered it. The many outcomes you might see and what they mean are briefly described below.

We’ve received your revised return.

If the IRS notifies you that it has received your return, this means that the agency has it but is still reviewing it. You might have to wait up to 20 weeks for processing to be finished as a result.

Your modified return has been changed.

The IRS has examined your revised tax return and changed your account as a result, as shown by the “adjusted” label. According to the IRS, this adjustment may result in “a refund, balance payable, or in no tax change.”

Your updated return has been submitted.

The IRS has finished reviewing your submitted documentation once your revised return has been filed. According to the IRS, “You will get all the information related to its processing by mail.”

Why Is It Taking So Long for My Corrected Return?

The IRS’s review of your revised return may occasionally be delayed by a problem with your return. This can imply that the procedure requires more time than 20 weeks.

According to the IRS, the following causes may lead to delays:

Your updated return is inaccurate, unsigned, or missing information.
Your tax return might have been returned to you by the IRS with a request for more details.
The injured spouse allocation form, Form 8379, is part of your modified return.
Your revised return has a problem with identity theft or fraud.

Other problems, according to the IRS, may cause your return to be delayed. For instance, if the IRS’s bankruptcy division needs to review it, that process may take longer than 20 weeks. If the organization needs more details, it will get in touch with you.

In general, over the past few years, processing has been slower than typical. Instead of 20 weeks, standard processing used to take 16 weeks. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS will likely continue to clear backlogs of filings as the 2022 tax filing season gets underway, including modified returns.

What Happens if I Can’t Use the IRS Tool to Locate My Amended Return?

You might not be able to use the “Where’s My Amended Return?” function to check your status for a few different reasons. The IRS offers the following explanations as potentials.