Staples 2017 Tax Forms W2 Continuous 24pack
Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
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Nicolas
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Do not staple anything. Your W2, if you have one, should be paper clipped to the back of form 1040 page 1, nothing else in a paper clip. That's the way they want it and that the way it's always been.
Read the specific instructions from the IRS, they tell you how to assemble your return!
- CoastalWinds
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Nicolas wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:51 pm Do not staple anything. Your W2, if you have one, should be paper clipped to the back of form 1040 page 1, nothing else in a paper clip. That's the way they want it and that the way it's always been.
Read the specific instructions from the IRS, they tell you how to assemble your return!
The instructions say to "attach" the W2. What does that mean?
Last edited by CoastalWinds on Sun Mar 08, 2020 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Nicolas
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
CoastalWinds wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 9:05 pm
Nicolas wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:51 pm Do not staple anything. Your W2, if you have one, should be paper clipped to the back of form 1040 page 1, nothing else in a paper clip. That's the way they want it and that the way it's always been.
Read the specific instructions from the IRS, they tell you how to assemble your return!
I did read the instructions, and it contradicts your statement. While it's silent on the staple topic, it does say that the W2 goes first (not paper-clipped to the back).
Sorry, maybe that's my state's instructions. I guess if the feds are silent on staples then go berserk
- rkhusky
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Random Poster wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:05 am
CoastalWinds wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 11:03 pm The instructions say to "attach" the W-2 to the return. What does "attach" mean?
It means to staple. Or to clip. Or to affix together in some manner.
The rest of the return is "assembled."
Attachments are attached, otherwise they are not attachments.
Note that the pre-2018 1040 had a specific spot in which to attach the W2 and/or 1099.
Last edited by rkhusky on Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Random Poster
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
rkhusky wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:27 am Attachments are attached, otherwise they are not attachments.
Note that the pre-2018 1040 had a specific spot in which to attach the W2 and/or 1099.
That may be, but that isn't quite what the IRS instructions say, which is:
Assemble any schedules and forms behind Form 1040 or 1040-SR in order of the "Attachment Sequence No." shown in the upper-right corner of the schedule or form. If you have supporting statements, arrange them in the same order as the schedules or forms they support and attach them last. File your return, schedules, and other attachments on standard size paper. Cutting the paper may cause problems in processing your return. Don't attach correspondence or other items unless required to do so. Attach Forms W-2 and 2439 to Form 1040 or 1040-SR. If you received a Form W-2c (a corrected Form W-2), attach your original Forms W-2 and any Forms W-2c. Attach Forms W-2G and 1099-R to Form 1040 or 1040-SR if tax was withheld.
The instructions state to "assemble" the schedules and forms, and to "attach" supporting statements last (although to what is somewhat unclear), but to "attach" the W-2 forms to the 1040 Form.
If the attachments were meant to be attached, then the instructions would, presumably, state "assemble and attach," but they don't.
- rkhusky
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Random Poster wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:46 am If the attachments were meant to be attached, then the instructions would, presumably, state "assemble and attach," but they don't.
if attachments were not meant to be attached, the IRS would not use the word attachment, which clearly is something that is attached.
If you search the 1040 instructions for the word attach, it is found on 32 pages, with instructions to attach various forms to your return. If you search the instructions for the various forms and schedules, you will see instructions for attaching the attachment to your return.
Last edited by rkhusky on Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:56 am, edited 2 times in total.
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beyou
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- Random Poster
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
rkhusky wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:51 am if attachments were not meant to be attached, the IRS would not use the word attachment, which clearly is something that is attached.
If you search the 1040 instructions for the word attach, it is found on 32 pages, with instructions to attach various forms to your return. If you search the instructions for the various forms and schedules, you will see instructions for attaching the attachment to your return.
You do what you want, and I'll do what I want. I seriously doubt that stapling (or not stapling) is going to any effect on the validity of one's federal tax return.
- TCB
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Each form has an 'attachment sequence #', not an 'assembly sequence #'.
Based on that, weren't they meant to be attached?
Isn't it inherent in their nature?
The Internal Revenue Service likely feels it is of little significance, otherwise they would specifically mention stapling/no stapling.
Based on this thread, perhaps they should reconsider.
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dodecahedron
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
At our VITA site, we efile most returns but occasionally need to prepare paper returns for our clients, for a variety of reasons.
We always staple the pages together (except for the 1040-V, if any, which we leave loose.) W-2s get stapled to the front, as do any 1099s that include withholding. The check for balance due (if any) is loose in the envelope.
This protocol has consistently worked just fine for our clients over the years.
When my late husband was still living, he did not like efiling so we also submitted our paper returns in this manner. It worked fine for us as well.
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SmileyFace
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Nicolas wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:51 pm Do not staple anything. Your W2, if you have one, should be paper clipped to the back of form 1040 page 1, nothing else in a paper clip. That's the way they want it and that the way it's always been.
Read the specific instructions from the IRS, they tell you how to assemble your return!
That's not "the way it's always been" from my recollection. The last time I filed a paper return - nearly 3 decades ago I think now - there was a "Staple your W2 here" spot on the front of the form. There was a little mark where the staple was supposed to go.
OP: I would simply "google" this question if I were you - and then look for an answer from an "official" site - which in this case - would be irs.gove:
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-news/at-01-30.pdf
IRS seems to say to attach W2 to the FRONT of 1040 - not the back.
- Spirit Rider
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Kenkat wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 6:49 pm I don't think you need to. The first thing they will do is remove the paper clip or staple and electronically scan everything to image.
As someone who spent at least three decades of his career in document imaging. Including many government contracts scanning forms. The scanning production workers will thank you for not stapling documents together. Finger injuries are an inevitable occurrence in high volume staple removal.
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dodecahedron
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Spirit Rider wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:09 am
Kenkat wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 6:49 pm I don't think you need to. The first thing they will do is remove the paper clip or staple and electronically scan everything to image.
As someone who spent at least three decades of his career in document imaging. Including many government contracts scanning forms. The scanning production workers will thank you for not stapling documents together. Finger injuries are an inevitable occurrence in high volume staple removal.
If the IRS would just *scan* tax documents, there would be no need to actually mail in a multipage tax return. A single page well-designed summary return with a 2-D barcode could easily convey all the pages and pages of detail on a typical paper printout. A massive amount of detail can be communicated via a single 2-D barcode.
Unfortunately, the IRS does not do this. They have folks sitting at ¨Tingle tables¨ manually transcribing key lines from the submitted paper forms. Not at all obvious to me that it is helpful to them to have unstapled pages. (Tingle tables were an innovation invented by an IRS employee in 1962. He took the initiative to build a prototype in his backyard, according to page 25 of my previous link. I would guess that Mr. Tingle has long ago filed his own last return, but his eponymous tables were still in use at least as recently as 2019.)
Edited to add: more fascinating Tingle table lore here, including information from two of James Tingle´s children.
- afan
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
I staple. Then photocopy so that the copy shows the staples
I have had the IRS misplace a check, then claim we sent it in later, after filing the return. Tried to charge penalty and interest for the delay. Photocopy of the check, stapled to the return, fixed that.
Have had the same nonsense with IRS claiming we did not file the W2's. Photocopy of the W2 stapled to the return fixed that also.
So I staple everything and make copies showing the staples. No matter what the instructions may say.
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Kenkat
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
dodecahedron wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:14 pm
Spirit Rider wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:09 am
Kenkat wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 6:49 pm I don't think you need to. The first thing they will do is remove the paper clip or staple and electronically scan everything to image.
As someone who spent at least three decades of his career in document imaging. Including many government contracts scanning forms. The scanning production workers will thank you for not stapling documents together. Finger injuries are an inevitable occurrence in high volume staple removal.
If the IRS would just *scan* tax documents, there would be no need to actually mail in a multipage tax return. A single page well-designed summary return with a 2-D barcode could easily convey all the pages and pages of detail on a typical paper printout. A massive amount of detail can be communicated via a single 2-D barcode. .
How would you take a handwritten tax return and turn it into a barcode?
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dodecahedron
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Kenkat wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:01 pm
dodecahedron wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:14 pm
Spirit Rider wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:09 am
Kenkat wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 6:49 pm I don't think you need to. The first thing they will do is remove the paper clip or staple and electronically scan everything to image.
As someone who spent at least three decades of his career in document imaging. Including many government contracts scanning forms. The scanning production workers will thank you for not stapling documents together. Finger injuries are an inevitable occurrence in high volume staple removal.
If the IRS would just *scan* tax documents, there would be no need to actually mail in a multipage tax return. A single page well-designed summary return with a 2-D barcode could easily convey all the pages and pages of detail on a typical paper printout. A massive amount of detail can be communicated via a single 2-D barcode. .
How would you take a handwritten tax return and turn it into a barcode?
Obviously you would not be able to take a handwritten tax return and turn it into a barcode, but tax software can easily do this. My state (NY) used to process paper returns by using 2-D barcodes. Now mandatory efile laws in my state may make this unnecessary and I am not not sure if they still use 2-D barcodes.
The IRS says there are a lot of folks they refer to as ¨v-coders,¨ that is, they prepare their returns using tax software, print it out, and mail it in. It would be more efficient for the IRS to use 2-D scanning to process those v-coded returns (as my state did) but I gather they don´t have a budget or administrative priority to convert to that technology.
Edited to add: I was a v-coder myself for many years (due to my late husband´s preferences for our MFJ returns.) After his death, I simplified my life and switched to just efiling.
- Money Market
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
HueyLD wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 5:59 pm My thinking is that the IRS employees prefer not having to remove staples.
My state specifically asks us not to staple our tax forms because injuries due to staple removal caused the state a lot of money in worker's compensation insurance.
This reminds me of several cases where certain municipal bus drivers got punched and had trivial bruises, then proceeded to take 6 months worth of sick leave because they were having "nightmares" and "trauma" about the incident.
VTSAX and chill.
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House Blend
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
aristotelian wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:04 am Why do they need W2's these days? You don't attach them when filing electronically.
There are a few states that are already on board with this:
you don't include any Forms W-2 or 1099 even when you paper file.
So perhaps we'll see that in the "What's New" section of the instructions for the Form 1040 in the near future. But considering what passes for innovation at the IRS (Exhibit A: the useless 1040-SR), I won't be holding my breath.
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dodecahedron
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
House Blend wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 11:50 am
aristotelian wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:04 am Why do they need W2's these days? You don't attach them when filing electronically.
There are a few states that are already on board with this:
you don't include any Forms W-2 or 1099 even when you paper file.
NY just wants summary W-2 info transcribed into their forms, which have 2-D barcodes.
They do not want copies of the original W-2s (or 1099-Rs) included on paper filed returns. I am sure New York´s system is more efficient.
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Kenkat
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
dodecahedron wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 10:22 am
Kenkat wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:01 pm
dodecahedron wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:14 pm
Spirit Rider wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:09 am
Kenkat wrote: ↑Sun Mar 08, 2020 6:49 pm I don't think you need to. The first thing they will do is remove the paper clip or staple and electronically scan everything to image.
As someone who spent at least three decades of his career in document imaging. Including many government contracts scanning forms. The scanning production workers will thank you for not stapling documents together. Finger injuries are an inevitable occurrence in high volume staple removal.
If the IRS would just *scan* tax documents, there would be no need to actually mail in a multipage tax return. A single page well-designed summary return with a 2-D barcode could easily convey all the pages and pages of detail on a typical paper printout. A massive amount of detail can be communicated via a single 2-D barcode. .
How would you take a handwritten tax return and turn it into a barcode?
Obviously you would not be able to take a handwritten tax return and turn it into a barcode, but tax software can easily do this. My state (NY) used to process paper returns by using 2-D barcodes. Now mandatory efile laws in my state may make this unnecessary and I am not not sure if they still use 2-D barcodes.
The IRS says there are a lot of folks they refer to as ¨v-coders,¨ that is, they prepare their returns using tax software, print it out, and mail it in. It would be more efficient for the IRS to use 2-D scanning to process those v-coded returns (as my state did) but I gather they don´t have a budget or administrative priority to convert to that technology.
Edited to add: I was a v-coder myself for many years (due to my late husband´s preferences for our MFJ returns.) After his death, I simplified my life and switched to just efiling.
Ok, I understand, thanks.
My comment, given experience with these types of decisions would be: does it make sense to further automate the "v-coders / do it in tax software but print it out and mail it" crowd as an interim state? Or should all energy be put into pushing people to e-file as the desired "end state"? I don't know enough to answer that question - both are valid depending on volumes, resources available, etc.
- scrabbler1
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
dodecahedron wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 11:54 am
House Blend wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 11:50 am
aristotelian wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:04 am Why do they need W2's these days? You don't attach them when filing electronically.
There are a few states that are already on board with this:
you don't include any Forms W-2 or 1099 even when you paper file.NY just wants summary W-2 info transcribed into their forms, which have 2-D barcodes.
They do not want copies of the original W-2s (or 1099-Rs) included on paper filed returns. I am sure New York´s system is more efficient.
NY's method of filing a standardized W-2 (IT-2) form is also useful if you get any corrected W-2 forms. I do my ladyfriend's taxes, and she received not one but two corrected W-2 forms. All I had to do was create a single W-2 (IT-2) form which included only the correct info from each form, and only the data relevant to NY's IT-2 form (some of the corrected W-2 forms' data was irrelevant, thankfully).
NY's instructions are pretty explicit; in bold type it says, "Do not staple any items to the return." If the Feds wanted us to do the same thing, how hard would it be to include such plain, specific language?
As for my federal returns, I have always stapled the W-2s and 1099-Rs to the front of Form 1040, in the middle, even though those indicators are not shown any more. I don't staple 1040V or the check but I do staple the forms together at the top center.
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Stinky
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
scrabbler1 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 1:50 pm If the Feds wanted us to do the same thing, how hard would it be to include such plain, specific language?
As for my federal returns, I have always stapled the W-2s and 1099-Rs to the front of Form 1040, in the middle, even though those indicators are not shown any more. I don't staple 1040V or the check but I do staple the forms together at the top center.
Ditto my practice.
If the Feds don't want stapled forms, why don't they add a sentence to say it.
Retired life insurance company financial officer who sincerely believes that "It's a GREAT day to be alive!"
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neurosphere
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
One of my trainees in the hospital is a canadian citizen on a J-1 visa and qualifies as a non-resident alien. I agreed to help with his taxes, and send him copies to mail into IRS and NY.
He asked me "do I include the W2 and how?". So I sent him this thread and said "this will answer all your questions about what to do with the W2".
If you have to ask "Is a Target Date fund right for me?", the answer is "Yes" (even in taxable accounts).
- kaneohe
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
Somewhat different topic: tax forms take forever to come by mail so I printed out some. However the printer
printed as 2 single-sided pages rather than a double-sided page.........e.g. 1040, Sch D. Which do you think IRS would prefer : send them as prepared; tape 2 pages together to make a thicker "double-sided" page. I could also make a double-sided copy of the originals and send those in instead...............the figures would be copies (not originals) but the signatures could be originals if I leave those spaces blank till after copying........is that the only thing they care about?
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Sandtrap
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
paper clip
. . . .
although I do remember one instance when I was "young" and upset that the govument' took so much out of my earnings ($1.25/hr) so I put at least 100 staples in my mailed in tax return. Never heard back anything from it. Though I have been through a number of audits later in mid life. Maybe "they" keep track of "staplers". . . .
j
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VictoriaF
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
I always staple Federal tax forms. It's a part of my paperwork discipline and error prevention.
My state explicitly states NOT to staple tax forms. But I file only two forms with the state return. By contrast, the Federal taxes now require eight or more forms, especially, after the recent simplification.
Victoria
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HueyLD
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
kaneohe wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 8:06 am Somewhat different topic: tax forms take forever to come by mail so I printed out some. However the printer
printed as 2 single-sided pages rather than a double-sided page.........e.g. 1040, Sch D. Which do you think IRS would prefer : send them as prepared; tape 2 pages together to make a thicker "double-sided" page. I could also make a double-sided copy of the originals and send those in instead...............the figures would be copies (not originals) but the signatures could be originals if I leave those spaces blank till after copying........is that the only thing they care about?
Get a printer that can print two sided.
- scrabbler1
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Re: Should federal tax return forms be stapled to each other? Or not?
HueyLD wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 1:01 pm
kaneohe wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 8:06 am Somewhat different topic: tax forms take forever to come by mail so I printed out some. However the printer
printed as 2 single-sided pages rather than a double-sided page.........e.g. 1040, Sch D. Which do you think IRS would prefer : send them as prepared; tape 2 pages together to make a thicker "double-sided" page. I could also make a double-sided copy of the originals and send those in instead...............the figures would be copies (not originals) but the signatures could be originals if I leave those spaces blank till after copying........is that the only thing they care about?Get a printer that can print two sided.
I print double-sided simply by reinserting the same page upside-down and printing the second page on the back side of the first page. Just make sure you know which way to reinsert the page.
If I don't use both sides of a 2-sided page, such as Form 8949, I just print the side I used.
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