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Must you provided a SIGNED COPY of the Federal tax return with the state return?

Must you provided a SIGNED COPY of the Federal tax return with the state return? Or can the Federal copy simply be a printed copy (unsigned).

I just got around to doing my taxes and sent them off but my significant other reminded me that the federal that went with the state wasn't signed.

The federal that went to the federal was signed, but not the federal that went with the california state return.

You'd think that it would be simple to google to find out if a federal "copy" must be signed but it's not.

Nobody seems to ever have asked the question. When I google for queries similar to "do I need to sign my federal copy with california tax return"

I get these answers, none of which are answering the question:

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etc.

NOTE: We signed the California, but did not sign the Federal "copy". So the question is just whether the "copy" must also be signed.

Reply to
Henning Schr?der
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Typically, you would send either the electronic signed version or if a paper return the signed tax form, for obvious reasons. That said, it doesn't matter. If CA wants your signed copy you will receive a written request from them (highly unlikely unless you have some red flags on the return). There is no penalty for failing to attach a copy of your federal return to your CA return. There can be a penalty for failing to provide the information in a written request.

Reply to
Alan

Alan auf Wed, 22 Jun 2016 15:14:01 -0400 geschrieben ...

That's very interesting that there's no requirement to even *send* in the Federal return!

That's interesting. Very interesting. So it's purely optional?

Does that lack of requirement hold for the W2 copies also?

Reply to
Henning Schr?der

I did not say that there was no requirement. There is a requirement. There is no penalty on the books if you fail to send it. CA will request it and then if you fail to send it, they can penalize you.

Reply to
Alan

I am in a similar situation and curious to know what happened? Did the state ask you to send a printed federal tax form again?

Reply to
ekta.d.malkan

I typically eFile federal and send CA a paper return. I just print a copy of my federal return to attach to the CA return, but don't sign the federal copy. So far, the California authorities have never asked for a signed copy of the federal return. Then again, they haven't asked any other questions either.

Clearly this is just one person's experience, but the instructions don't say that they want a signed copy of the federal return. And I have no idea to what extent the federal return is even looked at or stored. I would speculate that it is now required more out of inertia than any particular policy.

Slightly off-topic, but the California jury summons reply says if situation S applies then attach form X. And then at the bottom it says do not attach anything to the reply form except Y or Z. the summons

Reply to
taruss

snipped-for-privacy@google.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

I have never signed the federal copy I submit with my CA 540NR, neither have I signed the CA 540NR nor MD 505 copies I submit with my HI N-11. Haven't heard a peep from either CA or HI.

scott s. ..

Reply to
scott s.

Just a question here, while we send ?copy? of the federal return with state tax return, Can it be ?my copy? with copy written over it or does it need to be copy of the Original federal one

Reply to
saiyambest11

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