Can I e-file an amended 2025 Form 1040-X or must I mail it?
Executive summary
Yes—an amended 2025 federal Form 1040-X can be filed electronically in most cases: the IRS permits e-filing for the current tax year and the two prior tax periods, and it has modernized Form 1040-X to accept electronic submissions and even direct-deposit refunds for e-filed amendments [1] [2] [3]. However, there are clear exceptions and practical limits tied to how the original return was filed, the tax software used, and state filing rules that may force a paper submission [1] [4] [5].
1. Can I e-file a 2025 Form 1040-X?
The IRS states explicitly that taxpayers can file Form 1040-X electronically to amend Form 1040, 1040‑SR, 1040‑NR, or 1040‑SS for the current or two prior tax periods, making 2025 amendments eligible for e-file if within that window [1] [3]. The official 1040-X instructions and IRS FAQs reiterate that e-filing is available and that e-filed amended returns may request direct deposit of refunds [2] [1].
2. When must the amended return be mailed?
If the original return being amended was filed on paper, the IRS requires that the amended return also be filed on paper—so a paper original return means a mailed Form 1040‑X for the amendment [1]. Additionally, any amended returns older than the current tax year and the two preceding years cannot be amended electronically and must be mailed [3].
3. Practical limits imposed by software vendors and preparers
Major tax software and preparers generally support e-filing 1040‑X only when the original return was e-filed through the same provider or when the product supports amended e-file for that tax year; TurboTax and other services note that an amendment is usually e-fileable if the original was e-filed with that software, but unique taxpayer situations can still force a paper filing [4] [6]. Preparers who e-file an amended return must also use IRS e-file Signature Authorization Form 8879 when the preparer transmits electronically, and some software workflows require the original e-file acceptance to exist in the account before preparing the amendment [7] [6].
4. State returns and other downstream complications
Even when the federal 1040‑X can be e-filed, state amended-return rules vary: some states require paper amendments or have distinct forms and proof requirements tied to federal finalization, so an e-filed federal amendment does not automatically mean a paperless state process [5] [8]. Tax software vendors may advertise full e-file support for both federal and state amendments, but those claims depend on each state’s rules and whether the vendor accepted the original state e-file as well [6] [9].
5. Processing expectations and why paper may still be chosen
The IRS advises that amended returns generally take 8–12 weeks to process and sometimes up to 16 weeks; e-filing can shave mailing time but doesn’t eliminate IRS processing backlogs, and taxpayers still have the option to file a paper 1040‑X even if their original return was e-filed [3] [1]. Vendors and preparers push e-file because it reduces handling delays and permits direct deposit for refunds on approved e-filed amendments, which can be part of the marketing pitch to prefer electronic amendment [2] [10].
6. Bottom line
The authoritative rule is simple: if the tax year you are amending is within the current or two prior years and your situation and software support it, you can e-file a 2025 Form 1040‑X; if the original return was paper-filed, the amended return must be mailed, and state rules or unique tax circumstances can still require paper [1] [3] [4]. The IRS pages and instructions are the primary source for these limits and should be consulted alongside whichever tax software or preparer is being used to confirm supported workflows and signature requirements [2] [7].