Paperless filing is available to most taxpayers
who file electronically using tax preparation software or filing through a
tax professional. The process includes self-selecting a five-digit PIN
(one for the taxpayer and if married filing a joint return, one for the
spouse) and entering one piece of information from the taxpayer's previous
year's return along with the taxpayer's date of birth and spouse's date of
birth if filing jointly
If the taxpayer doesn't have the previous year's tax return, the taxpayer
can call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 or send Form 4506, Request for Copy of Transcript of Tax
Form, to get a free return transcript of his/her account. It
may take 7 to 10 days to receive a copy of the return transcript.
Paperless filing is also available for individuals who are first time
filers, sixteen or older on or before December 31, 2008.
There's no paper to sign and nothing to mail. Not even the
W-2s.
Taxpayers are not eligible to
file a paperless return with a self-selected PIN if one of the following
applies:
Taxpayers who are under the age of 16.
Taxpayers
with Citizenship Code C (in the country legally but do not possess a
valid Green Card, not allowed to work);
Taxpayers
with Citizenship Code D (reside outside the country and are not entitled
to Earned Income Credit (EIC), but are receiving federally funded
benefits, not allowed to work);
Taxpayers
who are deceased; or
Taxpayers
required to submit forms or schedules that cannot be accepted
electronically.
This process replaces the use of the e-file Customer Number (ECN)
that was used previously in the PIN pilots.
