Friday, Febraury 27, 2004

Tax Tips – Tax materials and assistance in Spanish

If you need federal tax information in Spanish, you can find it in the form of recorded tax topics, free tax publications and toll-free telephone assistance from the Internal Revenue Service.

TeleTax is a toll-free automated service, in English and Spanish, providing helpful tax topics and refund information. You can find a list of over 150 TeleTax topics in the instructions for Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ. TeleTax can also help you if it's been at least four weeks since you filed your return and you want to check on the status of your federal refund. Having a copy of the tax return handy will help you respond to the prompts on the automated system. TeleTax is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-829-4477.

Free Spanish publications are available by calling toll free 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676) or at www.irs.gov, under “Forms and Publications.” Some of the more popular ones are:

• Publication 1SP, “Derechos del Contribuyente (Your Rights as a Taxpayer).”

• Publication 579SP, “Como Preparar la Declaración de Impuesto,” explains who has to file a federal tax return and other important topics, such as which form to file, who are dependents, what income is taxable and nontaxable, and what some of the more common tax credits are.

• Publication 596SP, "Crédito por Ingreso del Trabajo," provides details on the Earned Income Tax Credit.

You can also talk with a Spanish-speaking IRS representative by calling the toll-free customer service line at 1-800-829-1040.

Need a copy of your tax return information?

Taxpayers have two easy and convenient options for getting copies of their federal tax return information - tax return transcripts and tax account transcripts - by phone or by mail.

A tax return transcript shows most line items from the tax return (Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ) as it was originally filed, including any accompanying forms and schedules. It does not reflect any changes you, your representative or the IRS made after the return was filed. In many cases, a return transcript will meet the requirements of lending institutions such as those offering mortgages and student loans.

A tax account transcript shows any later adjustments either you or the IRS made after the tax return was filed. This transcript shows basic data, including marital status, type of return filed, adjusted gross income and taxable income.

Request transcripts by calling 1-800-829-1040, or order by mail using IRS Form 4506-T, “Request for Transcript of Tax Form,” also available at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-fill/f4506.pdf. Specify the type of transcript you are requesting. The IRS does not charge a fee for transcripts, which are available for the current and three prior calendar years. Allow two weeks for delivery.

If you need a photocopy of a previously processed tax return and attachments, complete Form 4506 and mail it to the IRS address listed on the form for your area. There is a fee of $39.00 for each tax period requested. Copies are generally available for the current and past 6 years.

Forms 4506 and 4506-T can be found at www.irs.gov, under “Forms and Publications,” or can be ordered by calling the toll-free forms and publications order line at 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676). 

How to order forms and publications

The Internal Revenue Service has many forms and free publications on a wide variety of topics to help you understand and meet tax filing requirements. These forms and publications are available on the Internet, on CD-ROM, through fax on demand, over the telephone, through the mail, at local IRS offices, at some banks, post offices and libraries, and even at some grocery stores, copy centers and office supply stores.

If you know what form or publication you need, call the IRS toll-free order number at 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676). If you're not sure what to order, review IRS Publication 910, “Guide to Free Tax Services,” which lists publications and related forms, with descriptions and a subject matter index.

Two other helpful publications are Publication 2053, “Quick and Easy Access to IRS Tax Help and Forms/Fax Forms List.” This four-page publication explains how to obtain forms and publications via personal computer, phone, walk-in, mail or CD-ROM and includes a detailed list of forms available by fax.

Publication 2053A is a shortened version, omitting the three-page “Tax Products by Fax” list.

Personal computer users may download forms and publications from the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov. This site also has links to state tax forms and to forms that you can fill in online and then print.

During the tax-filing season, many libraries and post offices offer free tax forms to taxpayers. Some libraries also have copies of commonly-requested publications. Braille materials are also available. Many large grocery stores, copy centers, and office supply stores have forms you can photocopy or print from a CD-ROM.

Current tax forms, instructions and publications, as well as prior-year tax materials, are available on CD-ROM. Publication 1796, “Federal Tax Products on CD-ROM,” can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) for $22, plus a $5 handling fee for phone orders. Call 1-877-CDFORMS (1-877-233-6767), or save the handling fee by ordering online at www.ntis.gov/products/bestsellers.

Finally, you can get that last-minute or forgotten form by fax by dialing 703-368-9694 (not a toll-free call) from your fax machine and following the voice prompts to have the form you need faxed back to you.

Toll-free telephone service

Free tax help from the IRS is just a phone call away. The IRS provides various services through its toll-free telephone numbers. You can order forms and publications, listen to prerecorded tax information, check on the status of your refund, or ask questions about your tax return or inquire about a letter or notices you may have received. Some of these services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You can call the IRS Tax Help Line for individual customer service, 1-800-829-1040, to get answers to your federal tax questions.

You can check the status of your refund by calling the Refund Hotline at 1-800-829-1954. You will need to know your filing status and the exact whole-dollar amount of your expected refund.

Help for small businesses, corporations, partnerships and trusts who need information or help preparing business returns is available at the Business and Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933. Customers calling this number can apply for a new Employer Identification Number (EIN) and receive help on employment, partnership, corporation, estate, gift, trust and excise taxes, as well as issues related to Federal Tax Deposits or other small business issues.

The toll-free Help Line, Refund Hotline and Business and Specialty Tax Line numbers are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) weekdays. In addition, the 1-800-829-1040 customer service line is available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (local time) on Saturdays from Jan. 24 though April 10.

For tax forms and instructions for current and prior years, as well as a variety of free publications, call 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676). Copies of forms, publications and other helpful information are also available around-the-clock at www.irs.gov.

You can listen to recorded messages covering more than 100 tax topics, by calling the IRS TeleTax number, 1-800-829-4477. Topics include items such as: “Who Must File?,” “Highlights of Tax Changes,” “Education Credits,” “Individual Retirement Accounts,” “Earned Income Tax Credit,” “Should I Itemize?,” “What to Do if You Can’t Pay Your Tax” and more.

TeleTax will also let you check the status of your income tax refund. You will need to provide the filing status you used on the return and the dollar amount of the expected refund. Automated refund information is generally available four to five weeks after you have filed your tax return.

Hearing-impaired individuals with access to TTY/TDD equipment may call 1-800-829-4059 to ask questions or to order forms and publications.

For more information about services provided by the IRS, review the Form 1040 instruction packet or Publication 910, “Guide to Free Tax Services.” Call the number listed above for ordering forms and publications, or download a copy from the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov. The IRS Web site also provides a wealth of useful information for both individual and business taxpayers. Check it out - it’s worth a visit.