Publication 17

[Koss]

I'm sure someone else has mentioned this in another thread, but I just recently noticed that the IRS is no longer offering a paper version of Publication 17. Apparently, you can't even buy it from the IRS. It is no longer printed.

I wonder if the printed version of the 2013 Publication 17 will one day become a collector's item.

Somewhere I still have old copies of Package X. (Younger tax pros won't even know what that is.)

And I also have a few of the old-style Form 1040 tax packages, unused, in very good condition, with the high quality *color* tax forms bound into them.

Does anyone remember how the IRS used to send out pre-printed labels?

There was a time when those labels actually had the taxpayer's social security number on them.

Hard to believe, in today's environment.

Of course, the irony is that electronic filing with direct deposit is what has made tax identity theft so easy...

I wonder if I should put those 1040 packages up for sale on eBay...

Do today's newly minted tax pros even realize that Form 1040 is supposed to be blue, and Form 1040A is supposed to be pink?

BMK

[ATSMAN]

I'm sure someone else has mentioned this in another thread, but I just recently noticed that the IRS is no longer offering a paper version of Publication 17. Apparently, you can't even buy it from the IRS. It is no longer printed.

I wonder if the printed version of the 2013 Publication 17 will one day become a collector's item.

Somewhere I still have old copies of Package X. (Younger tax pros won't even know what that is.)

And I also have a few of the old-style Form 1040 tax packages, unused, in very good condition, with the high quality *color* tax forms bound into them.

Does anyone remember how the IRS used to send out pre-printed labels?

There was a time when those labels actually had the taxpayer's social security number on them.

Hard to believe, in today's environment.

Of course, the irony is that electronic filing with direct deposit is what has made tax identity theft so easy...

I wonder if I should put those 1040 packages up for sale on eBay...

Do today's newly minted tax pros even realize that Form 1040 is supposed to be blue, and Form 1040A is supposed to be pink?

BMK

Save your hard copy 2013 Pub 17. Unfortunately my copy has coffee mug stains on the cover!

Anyone use DOS based Tax Prep software?

[Black Bart]

Hey Burton,

Where've you been, old hoss? Your tax knowledge has been missed around here. Anyhow, we're glad to see you back. I'm an old head too, so I know whereof of you speak about the old reference items:

I'm sure someone else has mentioned this in another thread, but I just recently noticed that the IRS is no longer offering a paper version of Publication 17. Apparently, you can't even buy it from the IRS. It is no longer printed. I wonder if the printed version of the 2013 Publication 17 will one day become a collector's item..

Yeah, when I tried to order one last month, I found that out so I thought "Well, what the hey? I'll just Google one and print it out" only to find it's 286 pages. So I'll go along peaceably now and do what they want us to do - read it on the screen. I've got the last five or six years old copies.

Somewhere I still have old copies of Package X. (Younger tax pros won't even know what that is.)

I used to order those 'til it just got easier to pull up and print.

And I also have a few of the old-style Form 1040 tax packages, unused, in very good condition, with the high quality *color* tax forms bound into them.
I wonder if I should put those 1040 packages up for sale on eBay...

I have a DIY "customer" who used to bring me one of those every season: his "blue book package" containing 1040/A/B/C/D/E/F and tax tables up until about three years ago (apparently they would still send them out to non-pros who requested them). Not sure, but I don't think they send any at all out now -- I know our post office has stopped getting them.

Does anyone remember how the IRS used to send out pre-printed labels? There was a time when those labels actually had the taxpayer's social security number on them. Hard to believe, in today's environment. Of course, the irony is that electronic filing with direct deposit is what has made tax identity theft so easy...]?

Yes, IRS used to practically beg us to use them (to save time for them, of course).

Do today's newly minted tax pros even realize that Form 1040 is supposed to be blue, and Form 1040A is supposed to be pink?

BMK

I once attended a tax seminar a few years after computer tax programs were introduced and quickly swept away manual preparation; the speaker held up the old blue form and said (to a room full of professional tax preparers) "This is a form 1040."

Regards, BB

[taxea]

"Anyone use DOS based Tax Prep software? " I confess. I did.

I downloaded Pub 17 but haven''t looked at anything in regard to ACA. Is it up to date? Anyone hear anything about whether they will be issuing updates for Pub 17 since they don't print it anymore?

[New York Enrolled Agent]

Does anyone remember how the IRS used to send out pre-printed labels?

BMK

You might like to see IRS policy statement 3-13 from the Internal Revenue Manual



1.2.12.1.13 (03-24-1960)
Policy Statement 3-13 (Formerly P-2-77)

1. Mailing of blank tax return forms to taxpayers

2.As a service and convenience to taxpayers and to encourage voluntary compliance by reminding them of their obligation to file returns, the Service will, in general, mail blank tax return forms to persons who filed returns for the previous tax period or are otherwise on record as being potentially liable for the filing of returns.

3. ...

[bgiez]

Paper forms

I work in a library (as my retired from tax practice job) that has for years been involved in the IRS TFOP and we got the following email:

"TFOP Filing Season Update

While we had committed to waiting until next year to making changes to the Tax Forms Outlet Program, the situation has changed. As you may be aware, IRS appropriations were significantly cut in the 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill recently passed by Congress. Unfortunately this puts us in a position where we have very few options. We want to honor our commitment to you by providing some key products, but we cannot deliver nearly what we have in the past.

For this filing season, we will offer the following products:

Forms 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ
Publication 17, one reference copy for each participant (Taxpayers will be able to access Publication 17 in English and Spanish online from irs.gov/Pub17 and, new this year, it will also be available as a free e-Pub for downloading from IRS.gov and viewing on most e-Readers and other mobile devices.)
Publication 4604 (EN/SP), Use the Web for IRS Tax Products & Information
Publication 1132, Reproducible Copies of Federal Tax Forms and Instructions
The TFOP Poster Package which includes:

o Publication 1169, Need Tax Help?

o Publication 1258, Where Should I Send This?

o Publication 1309, Tax Forms This Way Publication

o Publication 1725, If The Form Fits...Use It!

No additional products will be available through the TFOP Program. We will not be sending Form 8635-S, Supplement to Form 8635.

We will fill orders for Forms 1040 and 1040A with the quantities you requested on your order form earlier this year. Because Form 1040EZ was not on this year's order form, we will send you 75% of your Form 1040 A order quantity. For example, if you ordered 3000 Form 1040 A, we will send you 2250 Form 1040EZ. It is not necessary for you to place an order for Form 1040EZ; we will automatically ship Form 1040EZ to you once the form becomes available.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer Instructions for Forms 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ. Your patrons can obtain copies of Instructions through:

IRS.gov/Forms - to view and download
IRS.gov/orderforms - to order tax products to be delivered by mail
1-800-829-3676 - to order tax products to be delivered by mail

The decision to reduce the number of tax products available to our TFOP partners was not made lightly. We realize this decision is not ideal and we understand it may impact you and your customers. Please offer Publication 4604 (EN/SP) to your patrons to help guide them to tax products and information available on IRS.gov. We apologize for these late program changes.

Thank you for your support,

IRS TFOP Administrator"

[ATSMAN]

"Anyone use DOS based Tax Prep software? " I confess. I did.

I downloaded Pub 17 but haven''t looked at anything in regard to ACA. Is it up to date? Anyone hear anything about whether they will be issuing updates for Pub 17 since they don't print it anymore?

Did you use Easy Tax??

I would not rely on pub 17 for ACA related issues. Use the TTB ACA reference!

[mastertaxguy]

So private publishing of pub 17 by tm?

So, will TM privately publish and offer for sale a printed copy of Pub 17 with some other useful information maybe?

If not, perhaps those on this forum can get together and do this?

[Koss]

Private Printing

So, will TM privately publish and offer for sale a printed copy of Pub 17 with some other useful information maybe?

At my office, we had a copy of Publication 17 printed from the PDF at Staples, with spiral binding.

It cost about $31. Basically it was ten cents per page, plus a couple extra bucks for the spiral binding. Yes, Staples charges per page, even if the printing is double sided. The real expense is the toner, not the paper.

Not cheap, but it won't break the bank. We decided we only need one printed copy for now. The cost per page goes down as the volume increases.

FYI: For those that don't know or have forgotten, copyright is not an issue. Government publications are not subject to copyright. The inside cover of Pub. 17 says that it can be "reprinted freely." I mention this because you might get a clueless staff member at Staples (or OfficeMax, or FedEx/Kinko's, etc.) who tries to tell you than they cannot photocopy or print an entire book without permission from the copyright holder. For most books, this is in fact a valid concern. But not for US government publications.

You can place a print order online at staples.com by simply uploading the PDF of Publication 17. Add a comment that you want it spiral bound. They'll send you an e-mail when it's ready for pickup.

BMK

[Koss]

Reading on the Screen

Black Bart wrote:

So I'll go along peaceably now and do what they want us to do - read it on the screen.

On an Android tablet, the free Kindle application will load a PDF, and it allows you to turn the pages by swiping your finger left and right. Much more like reading a book than using Adobe Reader, which requires vertical scrolling.

Don't ask me if this works on an iPad. I don't use Apple products.

BMK