The instructions to create an amended return for efile start with saying to change the name of the accepted tax return file to COPY. There is nothing other than that file name to tell me, the preparer, which file should be amended and which file should be left alone. It is far too easy to use the wrong file to create the amendment.
If you use the wrong file to create an amendment, the program gives very confusing information. While it allows any file with a 1040X to be electronically submitted for filing, it doesn't protect the preparer from submitting the wrong file. You end up with one file that says EF Accepted when in fact that file has been amended and the amendment has been rejected. It becomes very confusing.
Please protect me from myself and make it so only the file with the 1040X can be transmitted. If an original return has been accepted and then an amendment is needed, make it impossible for the file containing the EF Accepted status to be refiled.
Intuit tells you to make a copy of the file before amending. As long as I have a paper (or pdf) copy of the original return that was filed, I have ignored Intuit's not so sage advice and just amended the return using the original client file. I am not somebody who amends a lot of returns, but I have been doing this for a lot of years without any issues.
