How to Obtain Income Tax Forms

There are many different ways to obtain income tax forms, especially for your federal income taxes. You can find most forms online, but there are also options for obtaining forms from locations in your area.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Determine which forms you need to obtain. You will need forms for both federal and state income tax. State forms can vary, but if you are filing your federal income tax return as an individual, you will most likely use Form 1040.
2. Find your state's tax website. Each state tax agency has a separate site with a different name. Access links for your state on the IRS website.
3. Browse your state's website for a listing of forms. For most states, you'll be able to download and print them off directly from the website. If you do not have access to a printer, you can typically obtain tax forms from your local library.
4. Visit the IRS Forms and Publications webpage to download your federal income tax forms (see Resources below). If you are not able to print these forms, your local library or post office will probably have copies.
5. Call the IRS form help line if you have problems finding the correct forms. The phone number is 1-800-TAX-FORM. You can order your forms over the phone.

Tips & Warnings

• You can file your federal and most state tax returns online rather than filling out paper forms. Filing online greatly reduces the likelihood of a miscalculation or other error. It is free in some cases.
• The IRS posts instructions for filling out specific forms on its website. If you are printing out your own forms, print these instructions as well.
• Forms available for download are usually PDFs. If you do not have software to read PDFs on your computer, you may need to download it.