Child filed tax return and didn't mark "can be claimed by another". Parents lost child tax credit. How to correct

[suesue1]

Dependent filed a tax return claiming self so parents lost child tax credit. Dependent is only 15 years old and made $400. How to correct so parents get the $2000 credit?

[abctax55]

Amend the child's return.  That has to be paper filed.

File the parents, claiming the child.  That *also* has to be paper filed.

Hurry up & wait, for either refunds OR inquiries from the government.

[clr600]

Amend child's tax return and file parents by paper.

[chasetax]

if clients need money, file with out child---then amend child and amend parents to claim child--important--put child's return in an envelope/folder and put parents return in an envelope folder--then on outside of childs folder attach note/letter asking to process childs amendment first--then put BOTH envelopes/folders in a larger folder and mail to irs.  amendments need to be totally separate from each other--irs has in the past stapled ALL the forms together and not processed the add'l amendment--this is also good to do if you need to mail multiple tax returns!

[suesue1]

Well .... Both returns were e-filed but the child's went first so parent's was rejected (no surprise). I did a 1040X for the child and had her mail it but there was nowhere on the 1040x that the program would let me change the exemptions. They mailed the amended return about 5 weeks ago - no reply yet from IRS. Tried filing the parents return again today and still rejected. 

[lynn-retired]

Amend the child's return. Paper file it.

After the child's amended return has been processed by the IRS, paper file the parents' amended return.

This is the best way to do this to avoid any problems with the IRS.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

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@suesue1 wrote:

Well .... Both returns were e-filed but the child's went first so parent's was rejected (no surprise). I did a 1040X for the child and had her mail it but there was nowhere on the 1040x that the program would let me change the exemptions. They mailed the amended return about 5 weeks ago - no reply yet from IRS. Tried filing the parents return again today and still rejected. 

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Look at page 2, part 1 of the 1040X  you should see the exemption change there  (assuming that you checked the box on the fed info worksheet that that could be claimed by someone else)