How Long Does an Amended Tax Return Take? US Form 1040-X Compared With Canada's Change My Return

If you filed a return and then found a mistake, the wait for a correction differs sharply by country. As of October 2026, the IRS says to allow 8 to 12 weeks for a US Form 1040-X, while the Canada Revenue Agency lists about 2 weeks for an online change request and about 19 weeks for a paper Form T1-ADJ. Both are guidance, not promises.

How long does a US amended return take?

The IRS tells filers to allow 8 to 12 weeks, and some returns take up to 16. The Where's My Amended Return? tool starts to show information three weeks after you file. You enter your Social Security number, date of birth and ZIP code, or you sign in to your IRS online account. It covers the current year and three prior years, and it cannot track business returns, carryback claims, injured spouse claims or returns with a foreign address.

That last point matters for readers abroad. If your US return carries a mailing address in Canada or India, the tool may not find it, so keep your proof of filing and watch your mail. You can e-file an amendment for the current year and the two prior years, and the IRS accepts up to three e-filed amended returns per tax year.

How long does a Canadian change request take?

The CRA gives three routes, each with its own timing:

Complex cases take up to 35 weeks, including multiple returns, years beyond the usual three-year reassessment window, carryback amounts and requests where the CRA asks for more information. You must wait for your notice of assessment before asking for a change, and if you already sent a request, wait for the answer before sending another. The result arrives as a notice of reassessment, or a letter if nothing changed.

A change request cannot be used to make or revise elections or to update your address, direct deposit or marital status. Those go through other channels. Our guide to notices of assessment and reassessment explains what to do with the reply.

What about India?

India has its own revised and updated return procedures on the income tax e-filing portal. We were unable to confirm a published processing time from the official site, so we do not quote one. The firm handles the US side only; your Indian Chartered Accountant confirms the current procedure and the period in which a return can still be revised.

Worked example

These figures are invented. Anita, who lived in Aurora and moved to Mississauga in 2026, finds that a US 1099 was left off her 2025 return and a Canadian slip was missed on her 2025 T1. She e-files a Form 1040-X on October 5 and, once her Canadian notice of assessment is in hand, uses Change my return on October 7. By October 21 the CRA response has arrived. The IRS tool shows nothing until about October 26 and then reports Received. She expects the US answer in December or January, and the delay is normal. She does not file a second US amendment in between.

Mistakes to avoid

• Expecting the US and Canada to move at the same speed.
• Mailing a T1-ADJ when the online route was open to you.
• Sending a second request before the first is answered.
• Assuming a foreign-address US return can be tracked online.
• Forgetting that a change to one country's return can affect the other, for example a foreign tax credit.

How we help

We are a US CPA firm. We prepare Form 1040-X and track the IRS response, and we coordinate with your Canadian accountant and Indian Chartered Accountant, who handle the CRA and Indian filings. We do not prepare Canadian or Indian returns. See more tax questions.

Frequently asked questions

General information only. It is not tax, legal, accounting or immigration advice for your situation, and rules change; confirm the current rules with the official source or a licensed professional in the relevant country.