# Can we still post our PDF print form?



## albator73 (Jan 27, 2012)

*Can we still used IRS PDF print forms and mail it?*

Hi,

I'm dual citizenship (US/Canada) living in Quebec, Canada. Over the last few years, I done my US tax with the IRS PDF forms and mailing them. Recently I'm seeing lots of threads talking about filing your Tax 2015 with a software, so is there something I missed and can we still used and print the PDF forms and send them through the mail? 

If not, what software is recommended and is there better one for specific country like Canada? 

Last year, I have the following forms:
1040, 1040 Schedule B, 2555, 8891 and 8938

Thanks


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Yes, you still can.

Tax preparation software, even the free stuff, is helpful even if you file a printed tax return by mail. The software automatically handles most of the math, for example.


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## Booth44 (Apr 23, 2016)

The taxprep software will normally allow you to file electronically as well, which will save you a few $$ in postage and give you peace of mind that your return wasn't lost in the mail.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

There is no requirement to e-file your returns. You can still use the pdf forms as you've been doing. Or you can use the IRS' Free File Fillable forms and I believe those can be e-filed if you wish. (The Free File page here https://www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free says that the Free File Fillable option is for returns with > $62,000 in gross income, but I suspect they might work even with less.)
Cheers,
Bev


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## albator73 (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks all for your input, I'll look into the taxprep software. Look like TaxAct and H&R Block are the most recommended this year. Honestly, I don't mind to pay a little if it will simplify my life.


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## albator73 (Jan 27, 2012)

Hi,

I just give a try to the TaxAct and H&R Block software but I found it way too much complicated for an simple expat case since they keep asking question about US system. The software should know soon your enter your address that your are an EXPAT and shouldn't bother to ask you with all those forms W2, 1099-INT, PAID number??? and other US forms that are irrelavant to an expat. 

Anyway thanks for the suggestion but I believe TaxPrep software are still not for simple expat unless you understand well the US system and your country tax system, and willing to invested lots of hours for the conversion. I'm afraid it will cause me more trouble to trying to filled it and have error than just doing it plainly with the PDF form where I can filled and sending them in less than an hour.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

albator73 said:


> The software should know soon your enter your address that your are an EXPAT and shouldn't bother to ask you with all those forms W2, 1099-INT, PAID number??? and other US forms that are irrelavant to an expat.


That's not actually true. I live in Singapore, yet I received a W-2 and a few 1099s. This is _very_ common. Those questions have ample merit.

Interview-style tax preparation software always asks several questions that seem less than relevant. ("No, I didn't buy an electric car....") Almost everybody answers lots of questions with "no," "does not apply," and similar. But by going through all those questions the tax preparation software is making sure, as best it can, that you end up with a fully compliant result -- that nothing was forgotten. Accountants do exactly the same thing, typically. The tax preparation software is actually skipping questions when it can, but it can't skip the questions you think it can. If it did, an awful lot of expatriates would end up with screwed up tax returns, including me.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

If you've been successfully doing your own returns for a few years, I'll agree that it's probably harder to learn a new software system than to simply fill out the returns yourself. Depends a bit on your situation, but I know I spent more time doo-fussing around with the options of the "interview" than just slapping numbers into the spaces I knew they belonged in. (OK, it does kind of help to actually read the captions on the lines and skim the "What's New?" section in the IRS publications and the form instructions - just to be sure.) 

In any event, do what works for you. I'm still curious to find out if you can use those free-file fillable forms to e-file if you make less than $64,000 or whatever the IRS site claims. Won't find out until next year.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Cala di Luna (Jun 16, 2016)

Bevdeforges said:


> I'm still curious to find out if you can use those free-file fillable forms to e-file if you make less than $64,000 or whatever the IRS site claims. Won't find out until next year.


Anybody can confirm or deny? Being an "accidental american" I would like to make the process as simple as possible (1040, Schedule B, 2555-EZ) and avoid the recurring cost of sending a registered mail. I read that _"Free File offers any taxpayer, regardless of income, the option to use online fillable forms to do their taxes [...] Once you're finished, you can file the fillable forms for free"_ (*source*). Is it correct to assume that if you make more than $64,000 *you **must* use fillable forms, but if you make less * you can* use fillable forms? Thank you.


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## Costa55 (Apr 13, 2016)

Cala di Luna said:


> Anybody can confirm or deny? Being an "accidental american" I would like to make the process as simple as possible (1040, Schedule B, 2555-EZ) and avoid the recurring cost of sending a registered mail. I read that _"Free File offers any taxpayer, regardless of income, the option to use online fillable forms to do their taxes [...] Once you're finished, you can file the fillable forms for free"_ (*source*). Is it correct to assume that if you make more than $64,000 *you **must* use fillable forms, but if you make less * you can* use fillable forms? Thank you.


Don't know if you should dig up old posts but I didn't have much luck using the online tools/e-filer, even as a tech guy  . I had additional issues trying to find software that agreed with expat status and let me use the 2555-EZ etc. 

I've just been saving the 1040, 2555 EZ etc in pdf form, filling in the boxes on the PC instead of writing in anything, printing and fed-ex in.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Cala di Luna said:


> Anybody can confirm or deny? Being an "accidental american" I would like to make the process as simple as possible (1040, Schedule B, 2555-EZ) and avoid the recurring cost of sending a registered mail. I read that _"Free File offers any taxpayer, regardless of income, the option to use online fillable forms to do their taxes [...] Once you're finished, you can file the fillable forms for free"_ (*source*). Is it correct to assume that if you make more than $64,000 *you **must* use fillable forms, but if you make less * you can* use fillable forms? Thank you.


No - there is no requirement to use the "fillable" forms, not at any income level.

The ¨free file fillable" forms are available to all, but more particularly offer a means of free e-filing for those who make more than the $64,000 limit for the free file e-file program. The Free e-file program is available through about a dozen or so tax preparation vendors, and each vendor has its own restrictions on who can use their free file system. 

However, the IRS fillable pdf forms are not necessarily free e-fileable for everyone. If you run into problems, you can always print off the forms as pdfs and just mail them in. Or, you can always print off copies of the forms and fill them in by hand to mail in.
Cheers,
Bev


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