Projected Shortage of 2015 Tax Forms at Libraries

2015 Tax Forms at the Berkeley Heights Public Library

The Berkeley Heights Public Library is always happy to receive free tax forms to hand out to our patrons yearly around this time through April 15. But this year, cutbacks to the IRS budget may result in a shortage of available tax forms for our patrons. We received an email from the IRS stating that because of budget cuts, the IRS Tax Forms Outlet Program has reduced the number of forms and publications they will provide to the Berkeley Heights Public Library and other U.S. public libraries this year. Only Forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ will be available in paper form for library patrons to
take home. They are projected to  be shipped at the end of January or early February.

As in past years, our reference librarians will help patrons find tax forms online and print them out. We charge ten cents per page for printouts.  Unfortunately, the instruction booklets which are so popular will not be sent by the IRS this year to libraries. We have printed a copy for patrons to use in the library and the instruction booklets can be viewed online and downloaded from the IRS website.

Copies of tax forms and instructions are available online for viewing and downloading at irs.gov/forms. For forms and instructions to be delivered by mail, the IRS suggests ordering online at
irs.gov/orderforms or by phone at 800-829-3676. If you are ordering by phone, expect long waits due to the IRS staff reductions.


As in previous years, New Jersey tax forms will not be mailed to the library, but can be printed from the New Jersey Department of Taxation website.


If you have questions or need help locating and printing tax forms, please
talk to our reference librarians
- in person at 290 Plainfield Avenue,
- by email: reference@bhplnj.org
- or by phone 908-464-9333

Library staff are putting together a binder of printed forms and instruction booklets for patrons to photocopy or use in the library. We can show patrons how to find forms or print them out for patrons, but we cannot give tax advice.

Related websites and articles

IRS Forms and Publications page

New Jersey Division of Taxation tax forms

AARP Tax Help locator

AP Article about IRS budget cuts

Federal Times report on IRS budget cuts

FAQ: Tax forms at the Library

It's that time of year again. No, not the time for Cadbury chocolate bunnies. It's the time when reference librarians across the U.S. field dozens of questions daily about tax forms. This year, delivery of Federal tax forms is later than ever. It seems that this has something to do with Congress delaying making a decision about the budget at the end of 2012. I know: shocking, isn't it? We all know that Congress is a model of cooperation and efficiency, so it is really shocking to realize that their procrastination, ruminations and lamentations at the end of last year did have real world consequences. We, on the front line of free tax form hand-out points, know this. Libraries don't have many tax forms to hand out this year. We are very sorry about this. We are as sorry as we can be. If we did have forms, we would put them out and you could take them home and do your taxes and the IRS would get their money and librarians would feel happy that we provided this public service and our patrons would be, well not happy to fork over their money, but at least able to cross 'paying taxes' off their to do list. Everyone is frustrated. We hope this schematic (isn't that what we call a chart these days?) will help answer the all-important questions you may have about The Case of the Missing Tax Forms.

There is no new library tax in Berkeley Heights

"There is No New Tax or Increased Spending for the Berkeley Heights Public Library

Berkeley Heights Public Library Board of Trustees

Tuesday, April 12 2011

A recent newspaper article suggests that there might be a new tax assessed on Berkeley Heights citizens to support our Public Library. That is not the case. A recent law signed by Governor Christie changes the way our local property tax bill displays how much of our taxes goes to support our local library.

Municipal Libraries, under state law and a citizen’s referendum, receive their support from local citizens via local property taxes collected by the towns. Funding goes into the Town’s general fund and is calculated as part of the Town’s budget CAP. The Town is directed by law as to what that percentage should be and the citizens never see exactly how much is raised to support the Library just like other town services, i.e., police, sewer, etc.

There is no new tax, there is no increased spending, the Town will have Library support calculated out of their CAP so there is no increase in local property taxes. Eventually there will be a different tax bill that shows dollar amount support for our Library.

The Local Finance Board, part of the State Department of Community Affairs, specifically summarizes the new law as follows:

“The law provides a dedicated line item on property tax bill to fund municipal free and joint free public libraries. It does not result in any increased taxes, but changes the way the minimum library appropriation is displayed to the public.”

We invite you to come visit our Town’s Library on Plainfield Avenue. If you haven’t been there in awhile, there’re lots of changes."

Link to the article:

http://thealternativepress.com/articles/there-is-no-new-tax-or-increased-spending-for-the---2

This blog post is a reprint of an article in The Alternative Press