Skip to main content

IRS identifies the top five tax forms for 2011

By Mechele R. Dillard on 2011-01-12
The IRS has provided a list of the top five tax forms for 2011.

Going into the 2011 tax season, the IRS has identified the top five tax forms for taxpayers.

According to the IRS, the top five requested tax forms are the following:

  1. Form W-4 (2011): The W-4 form is necessary for employers to withhold the proper amount of federal income tax from your paycheck. It is important, the IRS points out, to fill out a new W-4 when financial or personal situations change. In fact, although it is not required, the IRS does suggest filling out a new W-4 form for your employer each year, to account for your current financial/personal situation.
  2. Form W-9: The W-9 form allows required individuals to obtain an individual’s correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) for income reporting purposes. As examples, the IRS lists income paid to you; real estate transactions; mortgage interest you paid; acquisition or abandonment of secured property; cancellation of debt; and contributions you made to an IRA. Many people associate the W-9 form with an employer, which is a valid use for the form but, as one can see from the IRS examples, the W-9 form is necessary in a variety of situations.
  3. Form 1040: The 1040 form is used for filing the individual tax return.
  4. Form 1040X: The 1040X form is used to amend an individual tax return.
  5. Form 4506-T: The 4506-T form is a request for a transcript of a tax return. The transcript can be sent to the person designated on the tax return, or can be sent to a third party. The transcript, the IRS notes, is different from an actual copy of one’s tax return, which can be requested with a 4506 form.

Copies of these forms and others can be downloaded from the official IRS website at www.irs.gov.

Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.