Paper tax forms becoming harder to find

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - The Massachusetts Department of Revenue says that all but six percent of Massachusetts taxpayers filed electronically last year. Due to the popularity of e-filing, it is now getting harder to find paper forms at no cost.

That is not good news for people like Peter Jones of Northampton, who doesn't trust the computer with his taxes.

“I prefer to file on paper because I've got more confidence in the U.S. Mail than in the electronic communications media,” said Jones in Northampton on Monday morning.

The IRS says that in the last 13 years, close 1 billion tax returns have been filed online. But if you don't have access to the Internet or prefer paper filing, the chances of finding a paper form are small. The only place to find some paper forms in Northampton, for instance, is at the Forbes Library.

“People always want the main forms; the 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ.  And then people come in looking for things that are a little more unusual, and we have to just get them off the IRS website,” said Faith Kaufmann, an information services clerk.

That printing will cost you $0.20 per page.  The library's director says the push to go paperless has come with a cost, as many post offices have stopped providing tax documents. Now, libraries have become one of the few places to get some forms for free.  And as more taxpayers enter the system, the days of paper forms could be numbered.

“I would definitely be willing (to file online),” said recent college graduate Peter McInerney of Northampton.

“I think it's great for a lot of reasons, it's easier more convenient. Save paper, save on money for stamps.”

If you are looking for forms, you can find them at the Department of Revenue offices at 1550 Main Street in Springfield and 78 Center Street in Pittsfield , or you can print them from the IRS website.