One of the most asked questions in the last month has been:  where are the tax forms?  They have arrived, but they are different.  State tax forms are in the same format as previous year.  Pick up the tax booklet and it includes the forms, schedules, tax tables and instructions.

           

The Federal tax forms are completely different this year.  The IRS 1040 booklet is less than a dozen pages.  Form 1040 has been redesigned and Forms 1040A and 1040EZ will no longer be used.  It also includes Schedules 1-6 which include Additional Income and Adjustments to Income as well as Nonrefundable Credits, Other Taxes, etc.  The forms are much briefer hardly half a page.

           

The IRS 1040 Instructions are much larger than usual at over 100 pages including a section on 2018 Tax Reform Changes which could be crucial to your annual tax amount since the deduction for state and local taxes has been limited, and the child tax credit amount has been increased.  So, expect to read carefully these new tax instructions.

           

You can still go to www.irs.gov/forms to view and download, as well as www.irs.gov/orderforms to order tax products to be delivered by mail or 1-800-829-3676 to order tax products to be delivered by mail.

           

The library’s number of tax forms is limited so don’t wait until April to pick them up since we may well be out of forms, and with the recent governmental closure, it will be slower to re-order.