IRS Forms: What Are They?

Businesses and individuals use IRS tax forms to record all financial transactions to the federal government so that their tax due may be determined.

Forms for tax returns

Businesses and individuals use IRS forms to record financial transactions to the federal government so that their tax due may be determined. Although there are hundreds of forms created by the Internal Revenue Service, you are unlikely to come across more than a few each year.

Form 1040, the typical tax return for individual taxpayers, is the IRS form that most Americans are most familiar with.

Income taxes are also paid by corporations. Form 1120 or a variant of it is used by the majority of corporations when filing their taxes. There are additional forms, such as an estate and gift tax return, that pertain to other categories of federal taxes.

IRS form schedules and attachments

There may be other paperwork to complete in addition to your income tax return. There are hundreds of other documents you may need to complete and submit with your return, depending on how complicated your finances are. These are most commonly referred to as “schedules.”

For instance, you need to fill out a Schedule A attachment if you wish to itemize your deductions. Additionally, you might need to include a Schedule B if you receive a sizable amount of interest or dividend income. Other typical schedules are Schedule D, which reports capital asset transactions like stock sales, and Schedule C, which reports profits and losses from a single proprietorship.

Forms such as Form 1116 for the overseas tax credit or Form 2441 for the tax credit for childcare expenditures must be completed separately and submitted with your return if you intend to take advantage of tax deductions and credits.

Tax forms for information

Even when you don’t fill out the tax forms, the IRS nevertheless provides you with important information that you need to prepare your taxes. The W-2, which your employer generates to disclose your yearly income, salaries, tips, and the amount of tax deducted from them, is the most often used informative tax form.

Similar to the W-2, Form 1099 allows you to record a greater variety of your revenue over the course of the year. Form 1099-INT is used by banks to record interest income, Form 1099-NEC is used to report revenue from independent contractors, and Form 1099-G is used to report government payments, such as unemployment benefits. You can even get different Form 1098s in the mail if you have specific deductible costs. These include all of your possible tax deductions, such as interest on student loans, mortgages, tuition, and contributions of motor vehicles.

Getting tax forms

When you utilize File My Taxes online to complete your tax return, you can simply obtain all of the tax forms you need, whether they are for the current year or a previous year. You don’t even need to know which forms are necessary. We will just ask you basic questions and complete all the necessary paperwork on your behalf. As an alternative, you can download each form by searching the IRS website.

A local professional who is suited to your particular circumstances will handle your taxes from beginning to end when you use File My Taxes Online Live Full Service. With File My Taxes Online Live Assisted, you may get limitless assistance and guidance from tax professionals as you do your taxes.

Additionally, submit My Taxes Online will walk you through the process step-by-step so you can be sure it will be done correctly if you decide to submit your own taxes. We promise 100% correctness and your maximum return regardless of how you file.