Easy Access to Federal Forms

If you’re a business owner, chances are the simple mention of the word “forms” will send shivers down your spine.

Filling out forms – often a barrage of forms – can feel like the necessary evil of business. Larger companies have different departments in charge of handling their own required forms. Small business owners, however, are solely responsible for all forms regarding every part of the business. This is often one of the most difficult, confusing, and frustrating parts of being a business owner.

Luckily, there’s help.

Forms.gov

For a big-picture perspective, there’s Forms.gov. This website is essentially a massive catalog of more than 5,000 federal forms, from tax forms to small-business forms to Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) forms. Any kind of form you’re looking for is here.

As this is such a large catalog, it may be difficult to find what you’re looking for unless you know precisely the name and/or number of the form in question. For example, if you’re trying to find out what tax forms you are required to file, and you type “tax” in the search field on Forms.gov, you’ll get a listing of every tax form available – including the Currency Transaction Report for Casinos in Nevada. Maybe this what you were looking for. Probably not.

Forms.gov is a fantastic resource. And, there are other resources you can use as well.

Business.gov

The SBA’s Business.gov was originally meant to be a portal for federal forms. While it has evolved into a critical resource for small businesses, it’s still a great resource for forms.

For example, Business.gov has a main Government Forms Page. At the top of the page you’ll find a listing of the 12 most-requested forms by small-business owners as well as instructions on how to fill out these forms. This list includes the Employer Identification Number (EIN) application, W-2, W-4, and W-9 tax and withholding forms, quarterly and annual federal tax returns, and more. As you might imagine, most of these top 12 are tax forms.

Further down the page you’ll find forms and appropriate links relating to Loans and Financial Assistance, Government Contracting (8(a) forms), Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA record keeping forms), Patents, Trademark and Copyrights, and Taxes.

You’ll also find a range of resources regarding employment, from the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form to a link that provides a state-by-state list of new hire reporting centers, so employers can learn and understand their individual state requirements. You’ll also find a listing of forms for hiring foreign workers as well as migrant and seasonal agricultural workers.

Easing the Pain

As a business owner, required forms can be your nemesis. My advice: Face the enemy! It may be easier than you think to emerge victorious.