Here are links to the most common tax forms needed to prepare your income tax returns. All tax forms are in the portable document format (PDF) and require Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can use Acrobat Reader to view the documents and print documents. Most of the IRS forms also allow you to type in your information and save a copy with your data to your computer.

 

The best IRS web resource by far is Publication 17, which covers information relevant to most tax situations.

(Also available as a downloadable PDF document.)

1040EZ Series for Individuals

Taxpayers with income under $100,000 might qualify to use this simplified tax form.

• Form 1040EZ
• Instructions (pdf)
• Instructions (web)

1040A Series for Individuals

Most taxpayers are eligible to file this shorter tax form. Income under $100,000, can claim dependents, can use any filing status, and can claim some adjustments to income. This form is the best place to start for most people.

• Form 1040A
• Instructions (pdf)
• Instructions (web)

Schedules related to Form 1040A:

• Schedule B for Interest & Dividends (instructions included on the form).
• Form 2441 for Child & Dependent Care Expenses and Instructions for Form 2441
• Schedule R for the Credit for the Elderly or Disabled and Instructions for Schedule R

 

1040 Series for Individuals

Form 1040, the "long form," covers all possible tax situations. Anyone at all can file this form. So if you're in doubt about which form to file, it's always a safe bet to stick to the 1040.

• Form 1040

• Instructions (pdf)
• Instructions (web)
• Tax Tables (pdf)

Schedules related to Form 1040:

• Schedule A for Itemized Deductions.
• Schedule B for Interest and Dividends. Instructions are included in the same pdf file as the form.
• Schedule C for Net Profit or Loss from Business
• Schedule C-EZ simplified version of Net-Profit from Busines (includes instructions)
• Schedule D and Form 8949 for Capital Gains & Losses
• Schedule E for Supplemental Income & Loss from rental real estate, royalties, partnerships, trusts, and S-corporations, and Instructions
• Schedule EIC for the Earned Income Credit. See Publication 596 for all the details.
• Schedule F for Net Profit or Loss from Farming and Instructions
• Schedule H for Household Employment Taxes and IRS Instructions
• Schedule J for Farm Income Averaging and Instructions
• Schedule R for the Credit for the Elderly or Disabled and Instructions
• Schedule SE for the Self Employment Tax and IRS Instructions

Other Supporting 1040 Forms:

• Form 1116 Foreign Tax Credit and Instructions
• Form 2106 or 2106-EZ for Employee Business Expenses and Instructions
• Form 2441 for the Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses and Instructions
• Form 2555 or 2555-EZ for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Instructions
• Form 3903 for Moving Expenses
• Form 4137 for Taxes on Unreported Tips
• Form 4797 for Sale of Business Property and Instructions
• Form 5329 for the Additional Tax on IRAs and other Retirement Accounts and Instructions
• Form 6251 for the Alternative Minimum Tax and Instructions
• Form 8812 for the Additional Child Tax Credit
• Form 8839 for the Adoption Credit and Instructions
• Form 8863 for the Hope and Lifetime Education Credits
• Form 8880 for the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit
• Form 8889 for the Health Savings Account Deduction and Instructions

Where to Find Prior Year Tax Forms

The IRS has an archive of tax form, instructions, and publications. The archive is accessible at the Prior Year Products page on the IRS Web site.