It is not too late to request your telephone tax refund.
Most individual telephone customers will request this refund when they file their 2006 Federal Income Tax return, which is due on April 17, 2007. If you get an extension to file your income tax return, the extension will also apply to your request for the telephone tax refund.
You can still request this unique refund even if you have already filed your 2006 return. Simply file an amended return using Form 1040X.
The refund is also available for many individuals who do not have a regular 2006 income tax filing requirement. If this applies to you, use Form 1040EZ-T to request the refund. Form 1040EZ-T should be filed as soon as possible but is not subject to the April 17, 2007 tax deadline.
The one-time refund of previously collected federal telephone excise taxes is owed to just about anyone who paid a phone bill in the last several years. If you paid long-distance excise taxes on landline, cell phone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), or bundled service that was billed for the period after Feb 28, 2003 and before Aug 1, 2006 you are eligible for this refund. (Bundled service is local and long-distance service provided under a plan that does not separately list the charge for local service.)
If you are eligible, you have two options for requesting this refund. You can request the actual amount of federal excise tax you paid based upon your telephone bills for this period. Or you can choose to request the standard refund amount that ranges from $30-$60 based upon the number of exemptions you are entitled to claim on an individual income tax return.
If you must amend your return, be sure to use the most recent version of Form 1040X (revised February 2007) and enter the credit on line 15 of the Form 1040X. Wait to mail the completed Form 1040X until at least three weeks after the date that you filed your original Form 1040, if it was e-filed, or eight weeks if you filed on paper. This will prevent delays in processing any refund requests. You may cash your initial refund check while waiting for any additional refund.
Form 1040X, which is available on IRS.gov, cannot be electronically filed. It must be filed on paper. In addition to the IRS Web site, Forms 1040X and instructions are available by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
