TOPEKA, Kansas - Taxpayers will find the forms they need at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. A tax form station located in our central atrium offers taxpayers a selection of printed federal tax forms and instructions. Customers should be aware that there are no printed State of Kansas forms and instructions available.

In an effort to save $450,000 in printing and personnel costs, the Kansas Department of Revenue is not providing printed copies of those forms, opting instead to encourage Kansans to file online at www.ksrevenue.org/index.htm.

From January 25 to April 14, the library will open the Computer Training center every Monday and Wednesday from 4–6 pm, for those needing computer and Internet access to file their returns. Staff will be available to help troubleshoot computer problems, but cannot answer tax-related questions. Customers can also use their library cards to sign up to reserve a study room for a private place to file electronically.

The library is also host to free tax preparation for low- to moderate-income returns. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sessions are on Tuesdays 6-8:30 pm, Thursdays 3-8:30 pm and Saturdays 1-4 pm, starting Tue. Feb. 2 through Thur. April 15.

VITA is first-come, first-served. Sign-up starts one hour before VITA opens. Several Topeka locations have VITA sites.

Items you need to bring to VITA sites include
• Proof of identification
• Social Security cards for you, your spouse and any dependents
• Birth dates for you, your spouse and any dependents
• Wage and earning statement(s) (usually a W-2 form) from all employers
• Interest and dividend statements from your banks (1099 form)
• Bank routing numbers and account numbers for direct deposit
• To file taxes electronically on married-filing-joint tax returns, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

For a complete checklist of what to do before you go to a VITA site, log on to http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html.

For more information, ask a library professional about books and other materials on tax preparation.