Do you have to use IRS forms when filing a return.?

I thought the law was that you had to report not that you had to report using IRS forms. For example, could you write a letter saying you earned x dollars and believe you owe y amount and send a check for y amount along with the letter. As long as y amount was at least as much as you actually owed you'd be ok. Or would you need to file a 1040 even though you'd paid.

Public Comments

1. They need more detail than that. They need to know how many people are in your household, how many are dependents, if your children qualify for any credits, if you donated to charities, your marital status, the SSN's of all household members, filing status, etc. etc. You also have to provide your W2's as well as proof of any other income you recieved.
2. You thought wrong.
3. You must use the IRS forms. A letter won't cut it and the IRS could impose a penalty for filing a frivolous return if you don't. Worse yet, if you don't use the IRS forms, you could lose out on lucrative benefits that you might be entitled to. That would be "Dumb x 2" to say the least. In some cases you can attach your own schedules to the IRS forms and write "See Attached Schedule" on the IRS forms. A good example of that is Schedule D where you have only 3 or 4 lines to list stock sales. If you had 200 trades you'd need a stack of Schedules D-1 or you could attach a spreadsheet printout with the same information on it.
4. You should use IRS forms. You can also use photocopies The IRS will allow you to create your own tax forms as long as it has all the pertinent data that corresponds with their needs. You must submit your copy for approval before using it.
5. That's an interesting notion. You'd have to look at the law closely. This you can be sure of: The automated systems wouldn't be able to process it. The low-level drones in sector 7G wouldn't be able to process it. They'd have to push it up to a guy who wears a necktie, and with the IRS, that's "not a good thing". Most likely, necktie would simply fill out a 1040 for you using the information you sent in, and if it checked out... done. However if it didn't check out, well... as Don Lancaster says, "Don't mess with the eagle." The Feds have unlimited resources and unlimited patience, and in a staredown match, George Washington on Mount Rushmore will blink before they do. I know plenty of people who have refused to listen to the experience of plenty of other people, and had to go find that out for themselves...