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Form 1040: U.S. Individual Income Tax Return Explained

Form 1040 is the primary U.S. individual income tax return. Taxpayers use it to report income, calculate taxable income and tax, claim applicable credits, and reconcile payments or refunds, with schedules added when needed.

By Lee BaileyPublished Sep 8, 2026
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  1. What is Form 1040?
  2. What information does Form 1040 contain?
  3. Why are there so many Form 1040 schedules?
  4. What happened to Forms 1040A and 1040EZ?
  5. Form 1040 versus Form 1040-SR
  6. How should you determine whether and how to file?
  7. Sources

What is Form 1040?

Form 1040, the U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, is the primary federal income tax return used by U.S. individual taxpayers. It reports income, deductions, tax, credits, payments, and the resulting refund or amount owed.

The exact filing rules, thresholds, deductions, credits, and schedules can change from one tax year to another. For that reason, a current filing decision should be based on the IRS instructions for the specific tax year rather than a fixed threshold copied into an evergreen article.

Key Ideas

  • Primary individual return: Form 1040 is the standard U.S. individual income tax return.

  • Schedules add detail: Depending on the taxpayer's situation, numbered or lettered schedules supplement the main form.

  • 1040A and 1040EZ are retired: Beginning with tax year 2018, the IRS discontinued those simplified forms and consolidated individual filing around the redesigned Form 1040.

  • Use year-specific instructions: Filing requirements and tax rules change, so current IRS instructions are the authoritative reference.

What information does Form 1040 contain?

At a high level, Form 1040 brings together the major pieces needed to calculate an individual's federal income tax position:

  1. Identity and filing status — taxpayer and spouse information, address, filing status, and dependent information when applicable.
  2. Income — wages, interest, dividends, retirement distributions, capital gains, business income, and other reportable income, often with supporting schedules.
  3. Adjustments and deductions — items that reduce income or taxable income when allowed under the rules for that tax year.
  4. Tax and credits — the calculated tax plus credits that may reduce tax liability.
  5. Payments — withholding, estimated payments, refundable credits, and other eligible payments.
  6. Refund or amount owed — the final reconciliation between tax liability and payments.
  7. Signature — the taxpayer certifies the return before filing.

Why are there so many Form 1040 schedules?

The main form is intentionally compact. Additional schedules carry details that do not apply to every taxpayer.

Examples include Schedule A for itemized deductions, Schedule B for interest and ordinary dividends, Schedule C for sole-proprietor business income, Schedule D for capital gains and losses, Schedule E for certain supplemental income and loss, and Schedule SE for self-employment tax.

The IRS also uses numbered schedules for categories such as additional income and adjustments, additional taxes, and additional credits and payments. Which schedules exist and when they apply can change, so the current IRS instructions should control.

What happened to Forms 1040A and 1040EZ?

The IRS discontinued Form 1040A and Form 1040EZ beginning with tax year 2018. Taxpayers who previously used those forms moved to the redesigned Form 1040 framework.

The old forms remain relevant for historical tax records, but they are not current filing alternatives.

Form 1040 versus Form 1040-SR

The IRS also provides Form 1040-SR as an optional alternative for taxpayers age 65 or older. According to the IRS, Form 1040-SR uses the same schedules and instructions as Form 1040.

How should you determine whether and how to file?

Use the IRS Form 1040 instructions for the tax year being filed. Filing requirements can depend on factors such as filing status, age, income type and amount, self-employment activity, and other tax circumstances.

Tax software and tax professionals can help apply those rules, but the underlying source should remain the current IRS guidance.

Sources

This page is educational and does not provide tax advice. For a current or prior-year filing, use the IRS instructions for the specific tax year or consult a qualified tax professional.

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