Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty Images Form 1040-A covered the most common types of income, deductions, and credits. It was only two pages and 51 lines long in its final iteration, not including personal information and the taxpayer’s signature. Form 1040-A was much faster and easier to prepare by hand than the longer Form 1040, but it covered more deductions and tax credits than Form 1040EZ, the other simplified return option that was available until 2018. For example, it was possible to deduct IRA contributions and student loan interest on the 1040-A, but not on the 1040EZ. The last time Form 1040-A was used was in 2018, to file taxes for the 2017 tax year. Beginning in 2019, the IRS combined the many iterations of Form 1040, including 1040-A, into two forms: Form 1040 and 1040-SR.
Who Used Form 1040-A?
Form 1040-A was previously used by taxpayers who:
Had a taxable income of less than $100,000.Didn’t have income from their own farm or business.Didn’t have income from self-employment or alimony.Didn’t want to claim an alternative minimum tax adjustment on stock gained from exercising an incentive stock option.Claimed the standard deduction instead of itemizing.Could only claim credits for the elderly or the disabled, education, child and dependent care expenses, retirement savings contributions, child tax, or additional child tax, or the earned income credit.
Beginning in 2019, taxpayers were required to use the updated Form 1040 in place of Form 1040-A.
How to File Form 1040
You don’t have to worry about which tax form to use if you use tax software to prepare your returns. The software will automatically select the appropriate form based on your income and deductions. It will be either Form 1040 or 1040-SR. Most taxpayers will find that they have to file Form 1040. Only taxpayers over the age of 65 have the option to file Form 1040-SR.
Schedules
Some taxpayers will also have to file one or more schedules with their returns. Here are a few of the most common:
Schedule 1: Additional Income and Adjustments to Income Schedule 2: Additional Taxes Schedule 3: Additional Credits and Payments Schedule A: Itemized Deductions Schedule B: Interest and Ordinary Dividends Schedule C: Profit or Loss From Business
If you need a different schedule, the IRS lists them on its forms and publications webpage.2 The three numbered schedules detail your taxes, credits claimed, payments made, additional income not reported directly on Form 1040, and adjustments to income. The totals from these schedules are then transferred to the tax return. You can most likely file only Form 1040 without any attached schedules if you were previously eligible to file Form 1040-A, and your income, credits, and deductions haven’t changed. If you’re unsure which forms you should complete and file, you can work with a tax preparation specialist or contact the Internal Revenue Service help services.
