How to Amend Your US Taxes from Thailand

Did you get a notice from the IRS that your taxes were filed incorrectly, or that you owed money when indeed you were due money?

The same thing happened to me a few years ago. I received a notice from the IRS that I owed over US$2,300 in taxes. I was taken aback, because I was certain that with all my credits and rebates I was due thousands of dollars.

After two different phone calls with the IRS in America – which, mind you, totaled four long-distance hours from Thailand – I found out that my children’s social security numbers were somehow missing from my tax returns.

That, or an IRS agent failed to add them while entering my paper return into their system. (I filed a paper return because we had to apply for an ITIN for my Thai wife, and filing by paper was the only way to do that at that time.)

With that said, I was left with having to amend my taxes from Thailand so I could get the return I was actually owed.

This guide will show you what I did, and what you can do if you’re in the same position.

Read the IRS Notice Carefully

If the IRS sends you a notice that there were errors on your taxes, read the notice carefully to get a good idea on what you have to fix.

However, keep in mind that some of the errors on the list may be incorrect.

On my notice, for example, only one of the five errors was accurate. Later, neither my accountant nor the IRS could tell me why the other four errors were listed on the notice.

Once you find out what errors you need to correct, you can verify them with the IRS, which is your next step.

Call the IRS

Since you can’t trust all of the errors listed on the notice, the next thing you want to do is call the IRS and ask them what’s missing from or what needs to be revised on your return.

The number for its International Taxpayer Service Call Center is +1-267-941-1000. Keep in mind that this is not a free call, and you will have to wait a while to connect with a real person.

I have a True cell phone plan with the added “1 baht per minute international calling plan,” and even at that low rate my phone bill went up by 400 baht the next month. The call won’t break the bank, but be prepared to wait – and pay.

In some cases, if it’s correcting a social security number or something minor, they’ll do it right over the phone, saving you time and the cost of amending your taxes.

If it’s something major, the IRS agent should give you a general idea of what needs to be done. Then, you can start your amendment.

Amending Your Returns

In order to amend your returns, you need a few documents and the help of an accountant who’s familiar with amending U.S. income tax returns from Thailand.

Prepare Your Documents

Luckily, you only need two documents to amend your taxes, and that’s your income tax returns – including all schedules – from the year in question and form 1040X.

You should have a paper or digital copy of your taxes on hand, but if you don’t, you’ll have to create an account with ID.me in order to get a copy. (You must have proof of identity and the ability to make video calls to set up your account.)

Then, you can log into the IRS website using your ID.me account. Once on the site, you can download transcripts of your previous years’ tax returns.

You can download form 1040X, on the other hand, from the IRS website, but you can skip this step if you plan to hire an accountant.

Amend Your Own Taxes

If your taxes were filed incorrectly, I would highly recommend not trying to amend them yourself.

First, you may miss something that a trained accountant could pick up. Second, you may miss out on tax credits you’re entitled to.

But if you feel the need to amend your own taxes, fill out form 1040X using the instructions that come with the form.

The only instance where it may actually make sense to amend your taxes is if you used a software to originally file them.

TurboTax, for instance, allows you to amend your taxes using their software, which simplifies the process.

If you don’t want to file your taxes yourself, you can move on to the next section.

Find an Accountant

You don’t only want to find an accountant who can amend your taxes, but you want to find an ethical accountant at that.

During my own search for an accountant, I reached out to half a dozen companies in- and outside of Thailand and finally narrowed down my search to just one – American Asia Tax.

Out of all the accountants I spoke to, they were upfront from the start. But finding them came after various consultations that didn’t go so well.

In fact, one person I spoke to told me he usually charges US$1,000 for amendments, but since they wanted to keep me as an ongoing client, they could reduce the price to US$600.

That US$600 quote was nearly over three times the amount of most quotes I received. Way to help out a fellow expat, huh?

Whatever you do, do not rush through your selection. The work of a shady accountant may require you to have to amend your taxes yet again.

Go with an accountant with a solid track record and positive reviews from other expats (the Google Maps Review section is your friend).

Once you find an accountant, they’ll amend your taxes and may or may not mail them.

If you have to mail them yourself, always use the instructions on form 1040X, as each state in America has different mailing guidelines.

Moreover, use a mailing service like UPS. I found them to be the cheapest of the lot at roughly 600 baht for five-day shipping. And they give you a tracking number, which you’ll need if the IRS ever claims they never received your amendment.

Wait for an IRS Update

Once you amend your taxes, you can wait for the IRS to mail you another notice saying that your taxes have been amended, or you can call and ask.