# If you forgot to take the Hope Tax credit, can you amend your previous years returns?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-forgot-to-take-the-hope-tax-credit-can-you-amend-your-previous-years-returns/367978>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 9, 2006, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-forgot-to-take-the-hope-tax-credit-can-you-amend-your-previous-years-returns/367978 "2006-08-09T07:25:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cicada\_Killer\_Wasp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Cicada\_Killer\_Wasp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicada_Killer_Wasp)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-forgot-to-take-the-hope-tax-credit-can-you-amend-your-previous-years-returns/367978/1 "2006-08-09T07:25:27Z")

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If you were eligible for the Hope tax credit a few years back but forgot to take it, can you go back and amend your previous returns? How far back can you go?

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**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-forgot-to-take-the-hope-tax-credit-can-you-amend-your-previous-years-returns/367978/2 "2006-08-09T07:44:58Z")

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> [@Cicada Killer Wasp](#):
>
> If you were eligible for the Hope tax credit a few years back but forgot to take it, can you go back and amend your previous returns? How far back can you go?

I believe three years. There’s a special 1040 form for an amended return

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**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-forgot-to-take-the-hope-tax-credit-can-you-amend-your-previous-years-returns/367978/3 "2006-08-09T11:24:39Z")

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You need your original tax return and a 1040X form. I just had to do an adjustment to my 2004 return.

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**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-forgot-to-take-the-hope-tax-credit-can-you-amend-your-previous-years-returns/367978/4 "2006-08-09T15:15:50Z")

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Shouldn’t be a problem, but remember that you can only take it for two years total per person, and only in the Freshman/Sophomore years. If you had taken it already during two years, you would also have to amend the other return to Lifetime Learning Credit.