What your tax form tells the IRS
By Kay Bell • Bankrate.com

Are you wondering why you got the e-filing postcard even though you always mail in your returns?

It's because you did use a computer to fill out the forms. And IRS employees were paying attention to more than just the numbers entered on the pages that you printed out and mailed in last April.

It's very easy to spot when a taxpayer uses computer-generated tax forms instead of the ones that the IRS produces, according to an IRS spokesman.

The biggest difference is that shading -- for example, a light blue over your name and address entry -- generally is only on official IRS documents. Other IRS forms have various shades of gray that aren't included in some of the commercial products.

Then there's the size of the paper.

That large envelope included in your IRS mailed tax packet isn't just to ensure that the postal carrier gets it delivered on time. It's so the slightly larger official IRS forms will fit in easily.

So make sure you're complete and neat when you fill out this year's returns. You do want the IRS to get the best picture possible of you and your income, don't you?

--Posted Dec. 16, 1999