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From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE IRS' PUTATIVE LACK OF FUNDS FOR TAX FORMS AND INSTRUCTION BOOKLETS

  (Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to shed light 
on an issue that many constituents brought to my attention. Tax Day is 
right around the corner, and as many folks prepare to file their taxes, 
they are having issues locating the proper forms.
  The IRS has notified local libraries--and even congressional offices 
like mine--that it does not have the money to distribute enough tax 
forms and instruction booklets so that taxpayers can file their returns 
accurately and on time. As a result, Mr. Speaker, seniors and those 
without access to the Internet are scrambling to find 1040 instruction 
booklets and tax schedules they need to accurately file their taxes. My 
office distributed nearly 40 tax instruction books and tax forms during 
a recent community office hours event in Lebanon County, and the demand 
continues to grow daily.
  Mr. Speaker, the IRS' claim that they can no longer afford to send 
tax forms to local libraries due to budget cuts is disingenuous. And 
while needing more than 40 pages of instructions to complete the least 
complicated tax return is proof enough for simplifying the Tax Code, it 
is no excuse for the IRS to make paying your Federal taxes an even 
bigger headache by making it more difficult for my constituents to get 
the documents they need. Let's get our tax forms where they are needed.

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