Tax Forms

While paper forms are still available, there are now numerous options for free and low cost filing online.  Please keep this in mind if you are having trouble locating specific forms.  Information on e-filing and freefile is available below.  Some forms cannot be printed, copied or downloaded from the IRS website and must be requested directly from the IRS. Please call 1-800-TAX-FORM for more information.

Pick Up Forms

Only a limited number of the most popular forms have been distributed  to library branches. Call your branch to see if forms have been received, but please note, we cannot check for the availability of specific tax forms.

Copies of basic Federal and New York State tax forms are available at Brooklyn Public Library branches. In the Central Library, the forms are located in the Society, Sciences & Technology division on the 2^nd Floor. 

The Society, Sciences & Technology Division of the Central Library at Grand Army Plaza, has reproducible copies of Federal tax forms from 2007-2011 and New York State tax forms for the years 2010-2011 only. 

The Business and Career Library (280 Cadman Plaza West) has reproducible copies of Federal tax forms 1983 to 2011 and New York State tax forms 1979-1984,1986-1991,1994-2005, and 2008-2011.

Some Federal Forms may be available for pick up at local IRS offices. The Brooklyn office is at:

100 Myrtle Avenue
2 Metro Tech, 1st floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 488-2068
Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Tax form kiosk available at this location.

For additional local New York offices, and information on services provided visit the IRS website.

Print Forms

At Brooklyn Library locations, it costs 10 cents per page to make photocopies of forms or to print forms from a Web site. A valid BPL card or guest pass is required to access the library's computers and to pay for prints.

At the Central Library at Grand Army Plaza, one copy of tax forms can be printed free of charge at the lobby Information Desk and in the Society, Sciences and Technology Division. Instruction booklets and additional copies of tax forms can be printed for 10 cents per page.

Order Forms

Federal forms
(800) TAX FORM (829-3676)
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

New York State forms
(800) 462-8100

Download Forms and Instructions

To get all forms and instructions previously mailed in the income tax packets, including forms from previous years, try downloading them from the Internet. Tax forms are no longer available for pick-up at local post offices and only a limited supply is available at libraries.  Click here for Federal Forms and here for New York State Forms

Free File Program

Taxpayers who earned $57,000 or less may be eligible to file online for free through the IRS’s Federal FreeFile Program and New York State's FreeFile, and the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment's Online Free Tax Prep.

See Local Help page for more information on filing online at New York City locations.

Electronic Filing

There are a number of ways to file your taxes online. You can:

• E-File Federal Tax Return.
• E-File New York State Tax Return.
• Use tax preparation software for your home computer that guides you through the completion of your return. A comparison of different tax software can be found here.
• Walk into a licensed online e-file provider who will enter the information for you. A list of licensed online providers can be found here. Both the IRS and New York State require tax preparers to e-file their clients' personal income tax returns.

Before hiring a tax preparer, make sure you know your rights! Tax Preparation Services Consumer's Guide.

Electronic Filing at BPL

Outside of the tax assistance programs offered at BPL, due to privacy issues and time restrictions electronic filing at BPL is not recommended.

If you do choose to file using BPL computers, we highly recommend that you close all browser windows before your session times out. If you print out copies of your returns, the cost is 10 cents per page and requires a valid BPL card or the purchase of a guest pass.

Forms for Other States

Tax Forms for all 50 states can be found through the Federation of Tax Administrators' website.

Refund Status

Where's My Refund? - Check the status of your refund online at the IRS website.

New York State Income Tax Refund Status - Check here for the status of your New York State Return.

BPL and other organizations in New York City offer free or low-cost help with tax preparation. Always call ahead to see if you need to make an appointment and to find out what documents you'll need to bring.

© 2013 Brooklyn Public Library

Disclaimer: Brooklyn Public Library is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. This site provides links to websites that provide information about the law. But legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although care has been taken to only list links to reputable websites, we recommend you consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that the information you find, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation. No web site should be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.