Required Corrections

• If you incorrectly reported your filing status when filing your federal income tax return, file an amended return to make the necessary correction. If your income is different than the amount you reported when you filed your return, you should file an amendment to your return. The same holds true for deductions and credits — if you missed one or claimed too much or too little, file an amended return.
  
  

Forms Required

• File Form 1040X to make corrections to Forms 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ. You must file a separate Form 1040X for each year you are correcting. When you file Form 1040X, write the tax year you are correcting at the top. Normally, you must file an amended return within three years of the date you filed the return you are fixing, or within two years from the date you paid the tax owed on the form you are setting right.
  
  

Amending for Credit

• Use Form 1040X to amend the child tax credit amount on your original return. The line you use depends on whether the credit is refundable or not. If your credit is nonrefundable — it will result in a reduction in tax liability and not a refund — you should use line 7 of form 1040X. If the credit is refundable — the credit above your tax obligation is refunded to you — use line 14 to amend the amount. Form 1040X is set up so corrections are made utilizing three columns. On Form 1040, line 51 is the nonrefundable child tax credit amount and line 65 is the refundable child tax credit amount for the 2010 tax year. When correcting any figures, enter the amount from your original income tax return in column A, the correct amount in column C and the net change in column B. If the change is a decrease, enter the dollar figure in parentheses.
  
  

Considerations

• You must mail a correcting income tax return; no electronic filing option is available. Since your amended federal income tax return can create the need for an amendment of your filed state income tax return, you should check with your state tax agency for direction on how to proceed. The IRS charges interest and penalties on any taxes due from the date of the original return. Tax laws change frequently by acts of Congress. To ensure an accurate return, stay abreast of tax laws or consult a tax professional before filing your annual tax return.