The Department of Revenue is reminding taxpayers that it has started to discontinue the practice of processing bulk orders of paper tax forms. For the 2018 Tax Year, this change will affect libraries, post offices and tax preparers/certified public accountants.
This decision was made due to the fact that the majority of the paper tax forms provided by the department through its bulk ordering process are not used by customers when they file their returns. Research the department conducted shows that nearly 90 percent of the roughly 750,000 paper tax forms annually provided through this process are never returned to the department. These forms are printed at an annual cost of approximately $500,000 to the commonwealth's citizens.
This change mirrors a similar policy decision made by the IRS more than five years ago. It also aligns with the department's ongoing efforts to provide improved filing options for taxpayers, including electronic filing options.
Visit the department's How Do I Get Forms? link for further information on obtaining forms. As a reminder, here are some of the filing options offered by the department:
1.
File the PA-40 Pennsylvania Income Tax Return online
Taxpayers can file their PA-40 Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax Return online, at no cost, with PA Direct File.
2. Access the PDF versions of tax forms from the department's website
PA-40 Pennsylvania Income Tax Return
PA-1000 Property Tax or Rent Rebate Claim
3. Call the department to request a form
Taxpayers may call the Department of Revenue and request a Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax Return (PA-40) or Property Tax-Rent Rebate Program application (PA-1000). The department will mail the forms directly to taxpayers who make a request. The phone number is 888-PATAXES (888-728-2937), option 4.