IRS: 4 Ways to Get Forms and Publications

Editor’s note: This content is provided by the Internal Revenue Service. Consult your financial or tax adviser regarding your individual situation.

The Internal Revenue Service has free tax forms and publications on a wide variety of topics. Because of continued growth in electronic filing, the availability of free options to taxpayers and to reduce costs, the IRS discontinued the automatic mailing of paper tax packages last tax season.

If you need IRS forms and publications, here are four easy methods for getting them.

The Internet: You can access forms and publications on the IRS website 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at IRS.gov.

Taxpayer Assistance Centers: There are 401 TACs across the country where the IRS offers face-to-face assistance to taxpayers, and where taxpayers can pick up many IRS forms and publications. Visit IRS.gov and go to "Contact My Local Office" on the Individuals page to find a list of TAC locations by state. On the "Contact My Local Office" page, you can also select "Office Locator" and enter your ZIP code to find the IRS walk-in office nearest you, as well as a list of the services available at specific offices.

Convenient Locations in Your Community: 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. Many large grocery stores, copy centers and office supply stores have forms you can photocopy or print from a CD.

Mail: You can call 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676) Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time — except Alaska and Hawaii, which follow Pacific time — to order current year forms, instructions and publications, as well as prior year forms and instructions by mail. You will receive your order by mail, usually within 10 days.