Tax Filing Delayed Until February

If you have a tax return with educator or tuition deductions, or if you plan to file Schedule A, wait until they come out with the official form/schedule/instruction.

Those forms and instructions will be changing.

The 1040 form and its schedules are already available and the 1040 instructions are available. What's not available are instructions for the schedules.

Schedule A instructions were posted yesterday (3-Jan-2011).

Here is what the IRS says on this topic. (Source:

Taxpayers will need to wait to file if they are within any of the following three categories

• Taxpayers claiming itemized deductions on Schedule A. Itemized deductions include mortgage interest, charitable deductions, medical and dental expenses as well as state and local taxes. In addition, itemized deductions include the state and local general sales tax deduction extended in the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 enacted Dec. 17, which primarily benefits people living in areas without state and local income taxes and is claimed on Schedule A, Line 5. Because of late Congressional action to enact tax law changes, anyone who itemizes and files a Schedule A will need to wait to file until mid- to late February.

• Taxpayers claiming the Higher Education Tuition and Fees Deduction. This deduction for parents and students ? covering up to ,000 of tuition and fees paid to a post-secondary institution ? is claimed on Form 8917. However, the IRS emphasized that there will be no delays for millions of parents and students who claim other education credits, including the American Opportunity Tax Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit.

• Taxpayers claiming the Educator Expense Deduction. This deduction is for kindergarten through grade 12 educators with out-of-pocket classroom expenses of up to 0. The educator expense deduction is claimed on Form 1040, Line 23, and Form 1040A, Line 16.

**END QUOTE**

and.... this is for paper and e-file returns. The IRS will not accept either.