| Well, you don't need it, but you might want it in | | | | kind of ignore that column and look at the next |
| order to view many of the important files that you | | | | column of information. This column will contain the |
| might find on the Web. Files that you will find in | | | | more familiar form name and number and it is in |
| Adobe's PDF format are common documents like IRS | | | | order! You will see the more common forms like |
| forms, product manuals, reports, business | | | | Form 1040 and 1040A and when you do, you will |
| information, maps, e-books (electronic books) - which | | | | notice that the ones that are before it are forms in |
| includes all formats like novels, plays, poetry, | | | | the 900 range of numbers, so you can see that all |
| magazines and historic documents - and many other | | | | you need to do is find the number for the form you |
| documents. | | | | need and then choose it. |
| Let's take an example: (sorry reader's outside of the | | | | You choose it by clicking on the line that the form is |
| USA, you may not totally 'get' this reference!) It's | | | | on and then go down a bit on the page and click on |
| April and U. S. taxes are due. You start your | | | | the button that says "Review Selected Files". You will |
| paperwork and realize that you did something | | | | have a link on a new page for that particular form |
| different last year and need another form that's not | | | | that you selected. Make sure that it is the correct |
| in your regular packet. | | | | form number and then go ahead and click on that link. |
| OK ... what's the procedure for this ... you get in the | | | | If it isn't correct, click on the back button and try |
| car, drive to the local post office, park the car, go in | | | | again. |
| and rummage around the piles of forms that are | | | | By clicking on that link, you are choosing a PDF |
| there and it isn't there. Oh well, get back in the car | | | | formatted document - by the way PDF stands for |
| and drive to the downtown federal buildings and | | | | Portable Document Format and is also the extension |
| again find a parking place ... find the IRS office ... look | | | | for each document. So if you see a file in your |
| through the stacks of forms to find the right one ... | | | | folders on your computer that looks like this: |
| finally find it and proceed to make your way back to | | | | filename.pdf - that file can only be viewed by the |
| the car ... fight the downtown traffic back home and | | | | Adobe Reader software. |
| now you are too tired to work on your taxes! | | | | Getting back to the IRS website, when you click on |
| Whew!! That sounds like a lot of work! Well, I can tell | | | | that link, you don't have to do anything else other |
| you for certain that there is an easier way to get | | | | than to watch it come up in your Adobe Reader - |
| that form! Here's the new procedure: | | | | that is, you will if you have it installed on your |
| Connect to the internet (however you connect); | | | | computer. Need to get it? Simply go to where you |
| open up a browser (where you view web pages: like | | | | will find a link to download the software for free! |
| Internet Explorer, Netscape, or AOL's browser); go | | | | Now, so you can find it and use it again, make sure |
| to the address bar (box) near the top of the | | | | that you click on the "Save a Copy" button in the |
| window; type in [ press the Enter key or click on the | | | | left corner to save that form that you searched so |
| 'Go' button to get you to the site. | | | | hard for! Also, don't forget to go back to the list |
| Now, over to the left you'll see a heading labeled | | | | after you save the form to get any instructions that |
| "Most Requested Forms and Publications" and below | | | | go with the form. Bring it into your Adobe Reader |
| it you'll see a list of the most common forms that | | | | software the same way and you're ready to work |
| people request. If your form is not listed, then simply | | | | on your taxes! |
| click on the last link in that section labeled "More | | | | Now, even though it took a while to write out these |
| Forms and Publications" which will bring you to a | | | | instructions on how to get a form from the web |
| different page. | | | | site, it is actually a very quick procedure! |
| Now, this is the most difficult part of the whole | | | | So, why do people and companies use PDF |
| procedure ... remember now, this is a government | | | | documents so extensively? |
| web site, it's not supposed to be easy! On the page | | | | PDF files are enormously popular because of 2 main |
| there are about '500' links - well, it seems like that | | | | features: they retain the original formatting for the |
| many! Anyway, at this point - don't give up now! - | | | | document and they are "portable". |
| look at your situation - do you know the name and | | | | Formatting is the design - the look and 'feel' of the |
| or number of the form that you need? If you do, | | | | document. Easily represented by forms to fill out that |
| then simply click on the very first link under the | | | | need to look and print the same for each person, like |
| heading: "Download Forms and Publications by:" which | | | | the tax forms, it's meant to be a standard 'view' no |
| will get you to another page with the listing of all the | | | | matter what 'platform' it's viewed on - Windows |
| forms available on the site. It looks very confusing | | | | computers, Macintosh computers, Unix computers or |
| but don't give up yet! | | | | any portable device like a cell phone. Consistency is |
| If you look at the first column to the left of the list it | | | | the key here and that is why people choose to |
| looks like there's no rhyme or reason to it (oh, that's | | | | create and transmit documents in PDF format. |
| right, it doesn't have to! It's the IRS after all!) - just | | | | |