Beware free Adobe Reader 9.0

Adobe Reader 9.0 is not a good upgrade if you ever download forms from the IRS website. The IRS has granted these forms access rights which means you can fill them in, print and save them. Not so with Adobe Reader 9.0 It will no longer allow you to save forms with IRS document rights. Not good.

Reply to
jhhtexas
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What is "IRS document rights"?

Reply to
removeps-groups

Adobe no longer supports document rights in Reader V9. Therefore, you can't save a file in which you entered data. The IRS and state tax authorities will have to change the files in order to make them readily available for saving in Adobe Reader 9. The only other solution is to either have a previous version of Adobe Reader on your computer that allows you to save the file or use any one of a number of other free PDf readers that have enabled the functionality. Personally, I use the Foxit Reader for a variety of reasons. It is smaller and faster than the Adobe Reader; there are no issues with document rights; and I like that it uses tabs.

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Here is what Adobe says about document rights:

Work with rights-enabled PDF documents

You can use Adobe Document Server for Reader Extensions to create a rights-enabled PDF file that allows Adobe Reader users to comment on, save, and add digital signatures to PDF forms. For more information about Adobe Document Server for Reader Extensions, visit the Adobe website at

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When you open a rights-enabled PDF document in Adobe Reader, you can do one or more of the following:

  • Create digital signatures in a PDF document. * Add and view comments in the form of highlights, sticky notes, free text annotations, graphic and text markup tools, and sound or movie files. * Import and export comments and form data. * Save edited PDF documents to a hard disk.
Reply to
Alan

Alan wrote: The only other solution is to

CutePDF Writer (freeware)

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an easy work-around to save, but not reedit, filled-in forms from Adobe Reader 9.

Reply to
paultry

There are document rights in V9, but using a different method. "Old" document rights apparently are not forward compatible, while I suspect "new" document rights are not backward compatible. This is probably one of the reasons why Adobe Corp. had good Q3 financial results, they've learned how to apply the typical software vendor technique of forcing you (someone) to buy upgrades every year or two whether you need them or not. I suppose one of the reasons the government standardized on PDF format was because "there's a free reader", but I'm sure the contract didn't guarantee forward compatibility for an unlimited time.

I have yet to find a compelling reason to upgrade from Adobe Reader v.7, and as a taxpayer I hope the IRS doesn't squander our dollars buying new software and upgrading documents that are perfectly usable in their current form, as long as you ignore the desires of Adobe Corp. The Foxit product looks good, I might give that a try as well.

-Mark Bole

Reply to
Mark Bole

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