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IRS Form 1040EZ (2015): Late & Amended Filing Guide
Access the official 2015 Form 1040EZ to file a late tax return, correct errors, or establish your IRS compliance record. This page covers everything you need.
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What Is This Form
Form 1040EZ was the IRS's simplified federal income tax return for the 2015 tax year, designed for filers with straightforward financial situations. It accepted only certain types of income and did not allow itemized deductions or most tax credits. The IRS discontinued it starting with the 2018 tax year.
Late Filers
Missed the April 18, 2016, due date? You can still file your 2015 Form 1040EZ to establish the correct tax and keep your tax record current; the failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties have generally already reached their 25% maximums, but interest continues until you pay.
Multiple Income Sources
This form accepted wages, tips, unemployment compensation, taxable interest, and Alaska Permanent Fund dividends, provided your taxable income (line 6) was less than $100,000.
Itemizing Deductions
Form 1040EZ did not allow itemized deductions. Taxable interest over $1,500 required Form 1040A or 1040, and itemizing deductions on Schedule A required Form 1040.
Claiming 2015 Credits
Eligible low-income filers with no dependents could claim the Earned Income Credit directly on this form—one of the few 2015 tax credits available.
IRS Compliance
Filing your 2015 return, even years late, creates an official record and can prevent the IRS from filing a Substitute for Return on your behalf.
Citizens Abroad / Military
Taxpayers in military combat zones or disaster-designated areas may qualify for extended deadlines and refund exceptions not available in most standard filing cases.
Eligibility
Form 1040EZ (2015) applies to individuals with simple tax situations who never filed their 2015 return; to correct a return you already filed, use Form 1040X. It also serves late filers by establishing a compliance record with the IRS.
Late Filers
The failure-to-file penalty stops growing once it reaches 25% of the unpaid tax, which happens after five months. On a 2015 return it is already at its maximum, but filing now establishes the correct tax and lets you resolve the balance. On a 2015 return the failure-to-pay penalty has generally reached its 25% maximum too, but interest continues until you pay in full.
Multiple Income Sources
Taxpayers who received wages, tips, taxable interest, unemployment compensation, or Alaska Permanent Fund dividends with taxable income (line 6) less than $100,000 were eligible for this form.
Itemizing Deductions
Filers with taxable interest of $1,500 or less and no itemized deductions were eligible. Exceeding either limit requires using a longer form.
Claiming 2015 Credits
Workers with low to moderate income and no qualifying dependents may have been eligible to claim the Earned Income Credit to lower their tax balance.
IRS Compliance
Filers with an IRS notice about an unfiled 2015 return, or who need income proof for a loan, should file their 2015 return; filing your own return can prevent or replace an IRS substitute for return.
Citizens Abroad / Military
Citizens abroad or serving in military combat zones during 2015 may have qualified for extended deadlines and should check eligibility for any remaining refund exceptions.
Step-by-Step
Follow each step below to complete your 2015 Form 1040EZ accurately and avoid IRS delays. Certain instructions apply only to the 2015 tax year.
- Gather Your Tax Information Before Starting
Collect all W-2s, 1099s, SSA-1099s, and interest income records before you begin. If original documents are unavailable, use copies from payers or SSA earnings records; wage and income transcripts cover only the current and nine prior tax years, so 2015 data is generally no longer available.
- Choose the Correct Filing Status [2015 Only]
Form 1040EZ (2015) supported only Single and Married Filing Jointly. The other three statuses — Head of Household, Married Filing Separately, and Qualifying Widow(er) — required Form 1040A or 1040.
- Report All Income on the Correct Lines
Report wages and tips on Line 1, taxable interest on Line 2, and unemployment compensation or Alaska Permanent Fund dividends on Line 3. Enter your total income on Line 4. If any of your social security benefits were taxable, you had to use Form 1040A or Form 1040 instead.
- Calculate Your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
Form 1040EZ included no above-the-line adjustments, so your Line 4 total carried directly as your AGI. Your AGI determines eligibility for certain types of tax credits, controls income-based phase-outs, and serves as your official income figure used by lenders, benefit programs, and federal agencies on record.
- Apply the Standard Deduction and Exemptions [2015 Only]
For 2015, filers whom no one could claim as a dependent entered $10,300 on line 5 if single ($6,300 standard deduction plus the $4,000 exemption) or $20,600 if married filing jointly. Filers who could be claimed as a dependent used the Worksheet for Line 5 to calculate a reduced amount. Itemized deductions were not permitted on this form.
- Claim the Earned Income Credit [2015 Only]
Eligible workers with no dependents could claim the Earned Income Credit on line 8a—no schedule was required. The maximum EIC with no qualifying children was $503 for 2015. This credit reduced your income tax liability or increased your refund.
Filing Deadline — April 18, 2016
The 2015 due date was April 18, 2016 — Emancipation Day was observed on Friday, April 15, shifting the deadline. Maine and Massachusetts filers had until April 19 due to Patriots' Day. Taxpayers who filed Form 4868 by April 18 received an extension to October 17, 2016. Interest began accruing from the original due date.
Refund Deadline — Likely Expired
Under the IRS three-year rule, the 2015 refund window closed April 15, 2019 (April 17 for Maine and Massachusetts). Forfeited refunds generally cannot be recovered; limited exceptions include financial disability under IRC §6511(h) (documented by a physician) and postponements for service in a combat zone. Consult a tax professional to determine whether an exception applies to your situation.
Processing Time — 6 or More Weeks
Mail your 2015 return to the IRS address in the 2015 instructions. Processing times for late returns typically take six or more weeks, though backlogs may extend that window. If you owe a balance, do not wait for processing confirmation before paying; interest continues to accrue until payment is received.
Mailing Your Return [2015 ONLY]
Mail your completed, signed 2015 Form 1040EZ to the IRS address for your area listed in the 2015 instructions. Use certified mail with a return receipt to create an official record of the date you mailed your return and the date the IRS received it.
Missing W-2s or Tax Records for Previous Years?
Late filers often no longer have access to original wage statements or income records from 2015. The IRS and Social Security Administration maintain records that can help you reconstruct your return accurately and avoid costly errors.
IRS Wage & Income Transcript
Wage and income transcripts are available only for the current and nine prior tax years, so 2015 information returns are generally no longer available. Use your own records, copies from payers, or SSA earnings records. For older account data, submit Form 4506-T.
IRS Account Transcript
This record shows your full 2015 IRS account history, including prior payments made, penalties charged, credits applied, and whether a return was previously filed or processed under your Social Security number.
Social Security Administration
SSA records can substitute for missing W-2s and SSA-1099s, providing a verified breakdown of 2015 wages, Social Security retirement payments, and disability benefits not available from other sources.
Contact previous employers
You can ask a past employer for a copy of your 2015 Form W-2, but employers are only required to keep employment tax records for at least 4 years, so 2015 records may no longer exist.
Use your actual records wherever possible. If you can't get a Form W-2, Form 4852 lets you report your best estimate of wages and withholding.
Missing W-2s or Tax Records?
You can still complete your return even without original records
Interest on any unpaid 2015 tax balance has been accruing since April 18, 2016, and continues until you pay; the failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties have generally already reached their 25% maximums. Filing now — even without full payment — establishes the correct tax and lets you resolve the balance.
Failure-to-File Penalty
(5% per month, up to 25%)
The IRS charges 5% per month on unpaid taxes, capped at 25%; concurrent FTF and FTP penalties reduce the FTF rate to 4.5%. Returns over 60 days late face a minimum penalty of $205 or 100% of the unpaid tax, whichever is smaller.
Failure-to-Pay Penalty
(0.5% per month + interest)
A 0.5% monthly penalty applies to any unpaid balance, with daily interest at the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points. For individuals who filed on time, the failure-to-pay penalty drops to 0.25% per month while an installment agreement is in effect. A 2015 return filed late doesn't qualify for the reduction.
Penalty Abatement Options
(First-Time Abatement & Reasonable Cause)
Taxpayers with a clean prior compliance record may qualify for First-Time Abatement. Those with documented hardships—illness, disaster, or family loss—can request reasonable cause relief by submitting a written explanation with supporting records to the IRS.
Filing late is always better than not filing at all: filing establishes the correct tax and opens payment and relief options.
Owe Taxes and Need Help?
If your tax situation has resulted in unpaid IRS debt, professional help can reduce what you owe and stop enforcement actions:
- settle your IRS tax debt for less than the full amount with an Offer in Compromise
- set up an affordable IRS payment plan to resolve your balance
- remove or reduce IRS penalties added to your tax debt
Request a free tax relief assessment — speak with a licensed specialist today.
These are the most frequent errors causing IRS delays, rejected returns, or missed credits on 2015 filings.
- Using the wrong tax year form — Use the 2015 Form 1040EZ and its 2015 instructions for a 2015 return; a form for another year can cause processing delays and IRS correspondence.
- Missing the Earned Income Credit — Eligible filers sometimes overlook Line 8a entirely, leaving up to $503 in 2015-specific credits unclaimed and reducing their refund or balance adjustment.
- Wrong filing status label — Form 1040EZ for 2015 supported only Single and Married Filing Jointly; using any other status on this form can delay processing or lead to IRS correspondence.
- Applying PEASE limitations incorrectly—PEASE limitations reduced itemized deductions for high earners in 2015; Form 1040EZ did not allow them—applying this rule signals the use of the wrong form.
- Treating unemployment compensation as partially tax-free—Unemployment compensation was fully taxable in 2015 and must be on line 3; omitting it understates income and may trigger an IRS balance-due notice.
- Assuming a refund is still available — The 2015 refund deadline expired April 15, 2019; filing now will not produce a refund unless a qualifying military or financial disability exception applies.
- Missing or incorrect Social Security numbers — Both spouses must include valid Social Security numbers on a joint return; any error can delay processing and cause the IRS to deny credits.
- Unsigned return — A return without all required signatures is invalid and will not be processed until a properly signed copy is received at the correct IRS address.
- Missing attachments — Failing to include W-2s or required income documents delays processing and triggers IRS correspondence requesting missing tax information from the filer.
What is IRS Form 1040EZ (2015) used for?
Form 1040EZ (2015) was the simplified federal income tax return for individuals with straightforward tax situations. It applied to single or married filers under 65, with no dependents, taxable income under $100,000, and no itemized deductions. It is now used only to file an original 2015 return; to amend a 2015 return, use Form 1040X.
Can I still file a 2015 tax return?
Yes, there is no deadline preventing you from filing a prior-year return. Filing your 2015 Form 1040EZ establishes the correct tax and creates an official IRS record (the failure-to-file penalty has already reached its 25% maximum). However, the refund deadline passed on April 15, 2019, so most late filers will not receive a refund.
Can I e-file my 2015 Form 1040EZ?
Mail your completed, signed 2015 Form 1040EZ to the IRS address for your area listed in the 2015 instructions. Use certified mail to document the date your return was sent and received.
What if I can't pay the full 2015 balance?
File your return immediately, regardless of your ability to pay, so the IRS has the correct tax on record. Apply for an installment agreement using Form 9465 or request a payment plan through your IRS online account to manage the balance you owe over time.
How do I get my 2015 tax information if I've lost my records?
Wage and income transcripts cover only the current and nine prior tax years, so 2015 data is generally no longer available through Get Transcript Online or 1-800-908-9946. Use your own records, copies from payers, or SSA earnings records. For older account data, submit Form 4506-T.
Should I also amend my 2015 state return?
Yes, if changes to your federal 2015 return affect your state taxable income, you will need to file an amended state return. Each state has its form, due date, and mailing address for prior-year amendments. Check your state revenue department or consult a tax professional.
Can I use Form 1040EZ for other previous years?
No, the IRS issues specific tax forms for each tax year with year-specific rules, line numbers, and amounts. Form 1040EZ (2015) is valid only for that year. For any other prior year return, download the correct form directly from the official IRS website at IRS.gov.
What income types were not allowed on Form 1040EZ for 2015?
Form 1040EZ did not allow taxable Social Security benefits, dividends, IRA or pension distributions, self-employment income, rental income, capital gains, alimony, or K-1 income. Filers with any of these income types were required to use Form 1040A or Form 1040 for 2015.
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