Even the IRS acknowledges that some filers may benefit more if they declare their income using Form 1040A or the original (and longest) Form 1040. But just because you’re eligible to use Form 1040EZ doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. If you happen to be filing taxes for 2017 or earlier, you’ll need to meet the eligibility requirements listed above to use the 1040EZ.

Advance payments of the premium tax credit (for a health plan purchased on the ACA healthcare exchange) were not made for you, your spouse, or any individual you enrolled in coverage for whom no one else is claiming the personal exemption.

You were not a debtor in a chapter 11 bankruptcy case filed after Oct.

You did not owe any household employment taxes (also known as Nanny Taxes) on wages you paid to a household employee.

You had only wages, salaries, tips, taxable scholarship or fellowship grants, unemployment compensation, or Alaska Permanent Fund dividends, and your taxable interest was not over $1,500.

Your taxable income was less than $100,000.

You (and your spouse, if you’re filing jointly) were under age 65 in the relevant tax year, and not blind.

You did not claim anyone as your dependent.

Your filing status was single or married filing jointly.

For tax years 2017 and before, you were eligible to use Form 1040EZ if you met the following criteria: Form 1040EZ was meant to simplify the filing process for filers who had relatively simple tax situations.

Free 1040ez tax form download