Laser form library.

• Author: Wasserman, William E.
• Position: Software for laser-printed tax forms

Tax season has now arrived, and most CPAs have already begun to use tax preparation software such as Computax or Fast-Tax to help them through the filing season. However, occasionally practitioners need a tax form that is not available through the particular tax preparation service, so they are compelled to keep a library of blank forms on hand.

In the past, a good deal of time was spent on obtaining and maintaining the supply of needed forms from federal and state taxing authorities. Additionally, considerable filing space was used to store the forms and instructions. Publishers such as STF Services Corporation of Albany, N.Y., offer loose-leaf services that provide a complete and current library of state and federal tax forms, and official instructions and IRS publications. But now, with tax software and a laser printer, forms and instructions are available for approximately the same cost as a loose-leaf service.

Center Piece Software, Inc. in Glen Allen, Va., has been providing laser printed forms for several tax preparation packages (such as Turbo Tax) for a number of years and offers a Laser Librarian Tax Form Service in modules. Available are federal forms, federal forms and instructions, forms for individual states with or without official instructions, and the full service, containing all federal and state forms, instructions and Publications of the IRS (also available on CD-ROM). The full service requires an IBM-compatible computer with 640K of available RAM and a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet (Series II or Series III) or a 100% compatible printer equipped with Center Piece Accounting & Tax Fonts. Forms for years 1986 through 1990 are also available, but on a more limited basis. Other features include a facility for producing laser generated mailing labels and envelopes with predefined mailing addresses for all IRS Service Centers and room for up to 99 state agencies.

Center Piece also offers three...