This article was co-authored by Michael R. Lewis. Michael R. Lewis is a retired corporate executive, entrepreneur, and investment advisor in Texas. He has over 40 years of experience in business and finance, including as a Vice President for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. He has a BBA in Industrial Management from the University of Texas at Austin.
There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 11 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status.
This article has been viewed 335,553 times.
Every April, that dreaded day comes along when American wage earners have to file their federal income taxes. Until recently, the 1040EZ was the easiest federal return form to use. While the 1040EZ is no longer available for tax years starting from 2018 on, you can still use it if you need to file back taxes or amend your returns from previous years (2017 and earlier). Some restrictions on its use do exist, and some of the form's lines can be a bit confusing. Overall, though, the process of filling out a 1040EZ form is relatively simple. If you’re filing taxes for 2018 or later, you’ll need to use Form 1040.