An amendment should be filed only if the IRS or state has already accepted your return and you need to make changes due to an error or omission.
Always print a copy of the originally filed return. This will be your only record of the return as it was originally filed.
See Printing Your Return and Individual Forms.
After printing your originally-filed return, go back to the Q&A and make the needed changes to your return. Make a note of each change and the reason; you’ll need these notes to complete Form 1040-X Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
Items changed on your federal return may automatically transfer information to your state return.
To complete the amendment process for your Federal return:
If you receive an error when accessing Amend Federal Return that states you must first complete the filing steps prior to amending the return, click the Filing down the left to expand, then click Print Return. You'll need to go all the way through this process until it actually prints the return (you don't need to print on paper, just clicking to view it is sufficient). Once you do this, you can click Filing to expand, then click Amend Federal Return to continue.
If you choose to mail Form 1040-X, print the amended return and mail it to the IRS. Attach any required accompanying documents, such as forms created in the return due to the changes made, or any documentation that would support the changes made (corrected Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement).
To complete the amendment process for your State return:
Anyone can file an amendment with TaxAct, even if they used a different provider or mailed in their original return. If you didn’t file your original return with TaxAct, TaxAct won’t have your original figures. You must re-create your original return as it was submitted to the IRS or state. Once your return looks like the original, you can begin the amendment process.
Note that any link in the information above is updated each year automatically and will take you to the most recent version of the document at the time it is accessed.