If you filed your 2001 calendar year return before June 1, 2002, and did not claim the new special depreciation allowance for a qualified car, you can claim it by filing an amended return on Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, by April 15, 2003. At the top of the Form 1040X, print "Filed pursuant to Revenue Procedure 2002-33." If you are an employee, attach Form 2106, Employee Business Expenses (revised March 2002). If you are self-employed, attach Form 4562, Depreciation and Amortization (revised March 2002).

Or, you can claim the special depreciation allowance by filing Form 3115, Application for Change in Accounting Method, with your 2002 return. For details, see Revenue Procedure 2002-33. (But, filing Form 1040X for 2001 enables you to claim the special allowance earlier than attaching Form 3115 to your 2002 return.)

You cannot claim the special depreciation allowance on an amended return (or by using Form 3115) if you made, or are treated as having made, the election not to claim it described later.

Example. The facts are the same as in the previous example except that Bob filed his original 2001 income tax return on April 15, 2002, and claimed a $3,000 ($20,000 x .75 x .20) depreciation deduction for his new car using MACRS.

Bob now wishes to claim the special depreciation allowance for his new car on an amended 2001 return. Bob, who is an employee, files Form 1040X, by April 15, 2003, with an updated Form 2106 (revised March 2002) attached, increasing his total depreciation deduction to $5,745, as figured in the earlier example.

Bob's new filled-in Form 2106 is shown later.

Form 2106, Page 1, for Bob Smith

Form 2106, Page 2, for Bob Smith

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