Tax Tip 2019-29, March 25, 2019
As the April filing deadline approaches, IRS reminds taxpayers that Form 1040 has been redesigned for tax year 2018. The revised form consolidates Forms 1040, 1040-A and 1040-EZ into one form that all individual taxpayers will use to file their 2018 federal income tax return.
Forms 1040-A and 1040-EZ are no longer available to file 2018 taxes. Taxpayers who used one of these forms in the past will now file Form 1040. Some forms and publications released in 2017 or early 2018 may still have references to Form 1040A or Form 1040EZ. Taxpayers should disregard these references and refer to the Form 1040 instructions for more information.
The new form uses a building block approach that can be supplemented with additional schedules as needed. Taxpayers with straightforward tax situations will only need to file the Form 1040 with no additional schedules.
People who use tax software will still follow the steps they’re familiar with from previous years. Since nearly 90 percent of taxpayers now use tax software, the IRS expects the change to Form 1040 and its schedules to be seamless for those who file electronically.
Electronic filers may not notice any changes because the tax return preparation software will automatically use their answers to the tax questions to complete the Form 1040 and any needed schedules.
For taxpayers who filed paper returns in the past and are concerned about these changes, this year may be the year to consider the benefits of filing electronically. Using tax software is a convenient, safe and secure way to prepare and e-file an accurate tax return.