IRS modernizes Publication 17, the complete guide for individual tax filing information

 

Taxpayers who are looking for a comprehensive guide to 2020 tax benefits and useful tips to help them with their taxes can view IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income TaxPDF. Pub. 17 explains tax law and how those rules apply for filing a federal income tax return for individuals. It's designed to help taxpayers understand how much tax they owe so they pay no more than they should.

The IRS updated the format of Pub. 17 to make it easier to navigate and faster to download than previous editions. Plus, the 2020 edition is now accessible on most personal electronic devices.

Pub. 17 is packed with 135 pages of basic tax-filing information and tips on what income to report and how to report it. The publication supplements tax form instructions and coincides with Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040-SR, U.S. Tax Return for Seniors, Form 1040-NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return, and Schedules 1, 2 and 3. Its information is organized into four parts offering key information most taxpayers need to file their taxes. Each part has an introduction listing the specifics covered in that section.

The "What's New" section features a rundown on tax changes for the current tax year and references to complementary information for many topics. Other sections in the publication include information and links to additional resources to help taxpayers, for example:

  • claim dependents
  • determine whether to itemize deductions
  • understand Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) rules

Pub. 17 is currently available in English and SpanishPDF. The Service expects to offer translations in Russian, Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) later this year.

The publication has been available free on IRS.gov since 1996. It has thousands of interactive links to help taxpayers quickly find answers to their tax questions. It's also available as a free eBookEPUB.

Besides Pub. 17, IRS.gov offers many other helpful resources, and the website is the fastest way to get many services. Taxpayers don't need an appointment or make a phone call if they visit IRS.gov for answers and instructions. From the website, they can access easy-to-use tools to request transcripts and tax forms and make payments, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.