Trump administration releases draft Form 1040 with new question on filers' citizenship

What This is

• A draft version of the federal income tax Form 1040 includes a new question asking whether the person filing is a U.S. citizen.
• The draft also asks about work authorization, and would have filers self-certify status to claim refundable credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit.
• The draft would also require spouses to answer citizenship and work-authorization questions on joint returns.
• The proposal is tied to a new schedule that would require filers to certify they qualify before getting refundable credits.
• Treasury and the IRS say the goal is to stop people who are not eligible from receiving refundable credits and estimate savings of up to about $2 billion.
• The draft form reflects the Trump administration’s move to collect citizenship information through the tax filing process.

Why This Matters

• The change would make citizenship and legal status a routine part of tax filing, changing what many families feel safe sharing with the IRS.
• If more people avoid filing out of fear, the government could collect less revenue and more work could move off the books.
• It raises a core privacy question: whether tax data stays for taxes or can be used to police immigration.
• Tying refundable credits to self-declared status could shift cash support away from some mixed-status households and trigger more disputes over eligibility.