When people imagine what our library offers, it’s easiest to consider the many shelves of books, the computer stations, and even the RCU Dabble Box in the basement; that being said, many people are unaware of the many online resources that the library offers as well. Although library patrons may be familiar with a handful of our online resources, such as the MORE catalog or Libby, there are plenty that are offered by LEPMPL (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library) that get highlighted far less often.

For the seventh blog post in the series of highlighting online library resources, I would like to take some time to focus on the “Tax Form Resources” section under the “Explore” tab on the library website’s front page. This page is a good one-stop-shop for anything related to tax information, both state-wide and federally. Remember that taxes are due on April 15th!

First and foremost, it’s worth mentioning that while the Reference Department is more than happy to help you navigate through tax-form resources and find the forms you are looking for, we are not trained tax-professionals and have limited knowledge on what forms an individual might need. With that being said, do not let it discourage you from using our digital resources to guide you or from coming to the library for assistance finding your forms!

The first set of resources you will see on this webpage revolve around quick printing links, giving you clickable links that will take you to government websites that will let you find printable tax forms for the current year and previous years. These links include the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Fortunately, if you don’t have a printer at home for these resources, the library does offer printing services for 10 cents per side of a page in black and white or 50 cents per side of a page in color. Note that we only take bills and coins – we do not have a card payment option!

Listed nearby to these quick print links is a button that will take you to a webpage that holds helpful tools relating to tax information that is provided by the IRS. There are interactive tools for individuals and businesses, such as a tax withholding estimator, a refund tracker, online payment options, and an earned income tax credit assistant. Below the button for useful IRS tools are also the phone numbers for each of the revenue departments listed in the above paragraph.

Below the printing links and helpful IRS tools are two more sections, with the first being information about filing paper forms. This includes information for both federal and state forms, such as how to receive forms by mail, how to pick them up in person, or how to print them. Note that if you order the forms by mail, it can take up to around 15 business days for them to arrive! Next to this information about paper forms is information about filing online, including some free or low-cost options, again with links available for both state and federal taxes.

Lastly, this webpage also holds some local resources for tax assistance at the bottom of the webpage. This includes contact information and addresses for the local federal and state tax offices, as well as information regarding tax assistance programs, most of which are offered to those with annual incomes under $60,000 and those living in situations that may make filing one’s own taxes challenging.

If you have any questions regarding these resources, feel free to contact the Reference Services Department of LEPMPL in person on the second floor of the library, through email at reference@eauclaire.lib.wi.us, or over the phone at 715-839-5004.