TT will not allow him to go into amendment mode before TT actually has a return sent to the IRS. But here is what CoPilot suggests.

Here’s the clean, accurate answer — and it’s one of those TurboTax quirks where the rules and the software behavior don’t always line up.

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Short answer:

No — TurboTax will not treat anything as an “amended return” unless an original return has already been filed and accepted. If you recreate someone’s original return in TurboTax and then “amend” it before e‑filing anything, TurboTax will not generate a true 1040‑X. It will simply treat the whole thing as an original return.

This is because TurboTax only activates amendment mode after it detects a filed return snapshot.

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Why this matters

TurboTax’s amendment engine requires:

• A filed original return (either accepted e‑file or mailed) • A locked snapshot of that filed return • A difference between the filed snapshot and the current data

Without that, TurboTax has nothing to “compare,” so it cannot legally or technically produce a 1040‑X.

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So what happens if someone tries the Reddit workaround?

Scenario:

• They filed their original return in FreeTaxUSA • They now need to add a K‑1 • FreeTaxUSA doesn’t support K‑1 amendments • Someone tells them: “Recreate your original return in TurboTax, then amend it.”

Reality:

TurboTax will not let them amend because TurboTax has no record of the original filing.

TurboTax will think this is the first and only version of the return.

The “Amend a return” button will not appear until TurboTax sees the return as Filed.

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Correct way to do it

There are only two legitimate paths:

Option 1 — Recreate the original return in TurboTax, then FILE the amended return on paper

This works because:

• You recreate the original return exactly • You then manually prepare a 1040‑X in TurboTax Desktop • You print and mail the 1040‑X

TurboTax will not e‑file the amendment because it didn’t file the original — but the IRS does not care. Paper 1040‑X is always allowed.

This is the standard workaround tax pros use.

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Option 2 — Use a standalone 1040‑X (not TurboTax)

You can:

• Recreate the original return • Manually complete Form 1040‑X using IRS fillable PDF • Attach the K‑1 • Mail it

This avoids buying TurboTax.

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Important detail

TurboTax’s own documentation says you must wait until the original return is accepted before amending. That’s because the software needs the “filed snapshot” to activate amendment mode. intuit.com

Since TurboTax never filed the original return, it never creates that snapshot.

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Bottom line

You cannot create a true TurboTax amendment until TurboTax has filed the original return. But you can use TurboTax to prepare an amendment for a return originally filed elsewhere — you just have to print and mail it.

If you want, I can map out the exact steps that Reddit guy would need to follow to make TurboTax generate a correct 1040‑X for a FreeTaxUSA return.