All You Need to Know About IRS PDF Forms

Whether you are a US citizen or non-citizen residing in the US, you are likely qualified to start reporting your financial information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You need to use PDF forms to provide the required information professionally. Otherwise, you may have a legal case to answer. Here is all you need to know about these forms to prevent any problems:

1. The Forms are Designed for Specific Purposes

The US has over 800 forms and schedules that taxpayers and tax-exempt organizations use to provide their financial information. Before downloading Adobe Reader software to access the files, find out the type of PDF document that you need. Here are some good examples:

Form 1040: For individual federal income tax returns
Form W-9: For providing essential taxpayer information to the employer that asked for it. Employers use it to report the earnings of their independent contractors.
Form SS-4: Used to apply for the Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Form W-7: Non-citizens who are not eligible to get a Social Security number use it to apply for an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN)

2. Use the Right PDF Reader

For the best experience, filers are required to use the right PDF reader and use its saving and printing functionality instead of a web browser. IRS tests all its PDF files before posting them to the site. Besides, the agency only accepts forms that are consistent with its official printed version.

3. Provide the Required Data

The forms provide adequate space where people are required to supply their financial and personal information, which makes the work incredibly easy. So, gather all the relevant information on hand before starting the process. Here is what you need to have in hand in advance:

All the Social Security Numbers for the individuals on the tax return
Dates of birth for all the persons on your tax return
The previous year’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
Valid email address
US phone number

4. There are several Information Areas on IRS PDF Forms

IRS requires taxpayers and tax-exempt entities to fill all these different information areas. The areas to focus on are:

Manual entry fields
Drop-down menu
Calculated fields
Radio buttons
Checkboxes
Amount fields

5. Filers Cannot Interrupt Acceptance Processing after Acceptance

After receiving an email that the IRS has received and accepted your tax returns, you cannot interrupt the processing. The agency requires a maximum of 21 days to finish the process. Nonetheless, you can get the following types of help by following the right process:

Incorrect account or bank routing number: Contact your bank
Balance owed returned: If payments were not processed, call IRS customer service
Refund Returns: Contact the IRS or check with your bank

With the information we have provided, you should now be able to fill your IRS PDF files and resolve any arising issues with ease.

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