1040EZ Form

Form 1040EZ was the shortest, simplest version of the IRS Form 1040 for taxpayers with very basic returns. It was discontinued after the 2018 tax year when the IRS redesigned Form 1040 and eliminated Forms 1040A and 1040EZ.

What it covered

1040EZ was intended for filers with straightforward income and few or no adjustments or credits. Typical allowed income types included:
* Wages, salaries, and tips
* Taxable scholarships and fellowship grants
* Unemployment compensation
* Certain Alaska Permanent Fund dividends

Filers could claim the earned income credit (EIC) and elect to include nontaxable combat pay.

Eligibility (typical requirements)

To use Form 1040EZ a taxpayer generally had to meet all of the following:
* Single or married filing jointly with no dependents
* Under age 65 and not blind at year end (also applied to spouse if filing jointly)
* Taxable income below $100,000
* Taxable interest income less than $1,500
* No itemized deductions and no deductions for student loan interest, IRA contributions, educator expenses, tuition and fees, etc.
* No advance premium tax credit payments, no household employee tax liability, not a debtor in certain Chapter 11 cases
* No foreign income or filing from a foreign address
* Not required to file Schedule B for interest/dividend reporting

Limitations

1040EZ was limited in several important ways:
* Could not claim dependents
* Could not report many income types (e.g., dividends, retirement distributions, rental, farm, certain scholarships, social security benefits, foreign income)
* Did not allow itemized deductions or many common adjustments (student loan interest, IRA contributions, educator expenses)
* Allowed only a small set of credits compared with the full Form 1040

These constraints made it unsuitable for anyone with more than a very simple tax situation.

How 1040EZ differed from Form 1040

• Scope: Form 1040 accepted many more income categories and allowed dependents, multiple deductions, and a wide range of credits.
• Length: The full Form 1040 included many additional lines and schedules to accommodate complex situations; 1040EZ was much shorter and simpler.
• Flexibility: 1040EZ was designed for speed and simplicity but lacked flexibility to handle most nontrivial tax issues.

Transition and current status

In 2018 the IRS consolidated Forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ into a redesigned Form 1040 with new schedules. Since then:
* 1040EZ is no longer available for any tax year.
* All taxpayers now use Form 1040 (or Form 1040-SR for many filers age 65 and older), adding schedules as needed for additional income, deductions, or credits.

Quick FAQs

• Is Form 1040EZ still in use? No—it was eliminated beginning with the 2018 tax year.
• Can I get a 1040EZ for 2024 or 2025? No. The IRS no longer publishes Form 1040EZ.
• What replaced it? The redesigned Form 1040 and its accompanying schedules replaced 1040EZ and 1040A.

Bottom line

Form 1040EZ provided a very simple filing option for taxpayers with limited income and no dependents, but its restrictive eligibility and limited deductions/credits led the IRS to retire it in favor of a single, more flexible Form 1040 with modular schedules.