what might you complete a 1040 instead of a 1040Ez

You might complete a Form 1040 instead of a 1040EZ (which is now obsolete as of 2018 tax year but was used in prior years) if you have a more complex tax situation that requires the additional fields that the standard 1040 offers. The 1040EZ was designed for individuals with straightforward tax situations, but if any of the following conditions apply to you, you would need to use the Form 1040:

1. Your taxable income is greater than $100,000. 2. You have income from sources other than wages, salaries, tips, taxable scholarship or fellowship grants, unemployment compensation, or Alaska Permanent Fund dividends, such as income from self-employment, interest, dividends, capital gains, or rental income. 3. You plan to claim tax credits other than the Earned Income Credit (which has specific conditions). 4. You are claiming deductions other than the standard deduction, such as itemized deductions, the educator expense deduction, health savings account (HSA) deduction, etc. 5. You owe household employment taxes or Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), or other taxes that are not covered by the 1040EZ. 6. You received advance payments of the health coverage tax credit or premium tax credit. 7. You had income adjustments to income like student loan interest deduction, self-employed SEP, SIMPLE, and qualified plans, or self-employed health insurance deduction.

Since the 1040EZ and 1040A have been phased out after the 2017 tax year, now all taxpayers should use the new Form 1040 or 1040-SR (for seniors) regardless of their tax situation.

Extra: The IRS periodically updates tax forms to simplify the process or accommodate changes in tax law. For tax years prior to 2018, the 1040EZ was a simplified version of the Form 1040 and was meant for individuals with very straightforward tax situations. This form had limitations, as it could not accommodate complex tax scenarios such as having numerous tax deductions, credits, or additional types of income besides wages, tips, salaries, and a few other income types. With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the IRS redesigned the tax forms. They eliminated the 1040EZ and the 1040A, and in most cases, even complex tax situations are now catered for with the variations of Form 1040, which includes additional schedules for different types of income, deductions, and credits. The standard Form 1040 allows for most of the complexities in the tax code and is designed to ensure taxpayers accurately report their income and take advantage of any deductions and credits for which they are eligible.