In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes–Benjamin Franklin

The library has started receiving tax forms, instructions, and publications for distribution to the public.  Some forms, such as the instruction booklets for the Federal 1040 and 1040 A books have been delayed.  We do not expect to receive these instruction booklets until around the 1st of February.  The 1040 and 1040 A forms are available, as are the 1040 EZ forms and 1040 EZ instruction booklets.  We have not received the Kansas Income Tax or Kansas Homestead forms yet.  When we receive them they will be available for purchase at the Reference and Media desk in the library for 25 cents each.  The state of Kansas no longer provides us with free forms to distribute to the public, the Library purchases these forms and the charge is to cover our costs.

Many tax forms and publications are available online:

Not a tax form, but a form that many of our patrons are looking for at this time of year:

The library is also a site for free tax preparation for low- to moderate-income returns. Hours for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program are 6-8:30 pm Tuesday, 3-8:30 pm Thursday and 1-4pm Saturday, starting Tue., Feb. 1st through April 16th.  There are many other locations in Topeka that offer free tax assistance, check out this master schedule from the Shawnee County Extension office for all of the locations and times.

VITA appointments are first-come, first-served. Sign-up starts one hour before VITA opens. Several Topeka locations have VITA sites. Call 1-800-829-1040 for a VITA site nearest to you.

Items you need to bring to VITA sites include

  • Proof of identification
  • Social Security cards for you, your spouse and any dependents
  • Birth dates for you, your spouse and any dependents
  • Wage and earning statement(s), usually a W-2 form, from all employers
  • Interest and dividend statements from your banks (1099 form)
  • Bank routing numbers and account numbers for Direct Deposit