Tax Time Guide: IRS Publication 17 helps taxpayers with 2017 taxes

Notice: Historical Content


This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current law, policies or procedures.

IR-2018-46, March 8, 2018

WASHINGTON — Taxpayers who are looking for a comprehensive guide of 2017 tax benefits and useful tips to help them with their taxes don’t have to go further than IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax.

The IRS has developed the Tax Time Guide, a series of nine news releases to help taxpayers navigate common tax issues as this year’s April 17 deadline nears. This is the third news release in the series.

Publication 17 is a 290-page document packed with basic tax-filing information and tips on what income to report and how to report it, figuring capital gains and losses, claiming dependents, choosing the standard deduction versus itemizing deductions and using IRAs to save for retirement.

Publication 17 features a rundown on tax changes for the 2017 tax year and has details on taking advantage of a wide range of tax-saving opportunities. This includes tax credits such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit for parents and college students, the Additional Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit for low- and moderate-income workers.

Publication 17 has been available free on the IRS web site, IRS.gov, since 1996 and provides thousands of interactive links to help taxpayers quickly find answers to their tax questions.

Besides Publication 17, IRS.gov offers many other helpful resources for taxpayers, such as tax forms and publications for tax year 2017 and prior years. Taxpayers can also download Publication 17 and other tax publications on mobile devices as an eBook at no charge.

Taxpayers can find answers to questions, forms and instructions and easy-to-use tools online at IRS.gov 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No appointment required and no waiting on hold.