• Substitute forms prepared in continuous or strip form must be burst and stripped to…
Internal Revenue Bulletin 2005-44 · 2026-10-03 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · United States
to the size specified for a single form before they are filed with the Service. The dimensions are found below. Computer cards are acceptable provided they meet all requirements regarding layout, content, and size.
5.1.6 Substitute Form 1042-S
| Property | Substitute Form 1042-S Format Requirements |
|---|---|
| Printing | Privately printed substitute Forms 1042-S must be exact replicas of the official forms with respect to layout and content. Only the dimensions of the substitute form may differ. The Government Printing Office (GPO) symbol must be deleted. The exact dimensions are found below. |
| Box Entries | Only one item of income may be represented on the copy submitted to the Service (Copy A). Multiple income items may be shown on copies provided to recipients or retained by withholding agent. All boxes appearing on the official form must be present on the substitute form, with appropriate captions. |
| Color and Quality of Ink |
All printing must be in high quality non-gloss black ink. Bar codes should be free from picks and voids. |
| Typography | Type must be substantially identical in size and shape to corresponding type on the official form. All rules on the document are either 1 point (0.015") or 3 point (0.045"). Vertical rules must be parallel to the left edge of the document; horizontal rules must be parallel to the top edge. |
| Carbons | Carbonized forms or “spot carbons” are not permissible. Interleaved carbons, if used, must be of good quality to preclude smudging and should be black. |
| Assembly | If all five parts are present, the parts of the assembly shall be arranged from top to bottom as follows: Copy A (Original) “for Internal Revenue Service,” Copies B, C, and D “for Recipient,” and Copy E “for Withholding Agent.” |
| Color Quality of Paper |
• Paper for Copy A must be white chemical wood bond, or equivalent, 20 pound (basis 17 x 22–500), plus or minus 5 percent; or offset book paper, 50 pound (basis 25 x 38–500). No optical brighteners may be added to the pulp or paper during manufacture. The paper must consist of principally bleach chemical wood pulp or recycled printed paper. It also must be suitably sized to accept ink without feathering. • Copies B, C, D (for Recipient), and E (For Withholding Agent) are provided in the official assembly solely for the convenience of the withholding agent. Withholding agents may choose the format, design, color, and quality of the paper used for these copies. |
October 31, 2005 883 2005–44 I.R.B.
| Property | Substitute Form 1042-S Format Requirements |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | • The official form is 8 inches wide x 51/2 inches deep, exclusive of a 1/2 inch snap stub on the left side of the form. The snap feature is not required on substitutes. • The width of a substitute Copy A must be a minimum of 7 inches and a maximum of 8 inches, although adherence to the size of the official form is preferred. If the width of substitute Copy A is reduced from that of the official form, the width of each field on the substitute form must be reduced proportionately. The left margin must be 1/2 inch and free of all printing other than that shown on the official form. • The depth of a substitute Copy A must be a minimum of 51/6 inches and a maximum of 51/2 inches. |
| Other Copies | Copies B, C, and D must be furnished for the convenience of payees who must send a copy of the form with other federal and state returns they file. Copy E may be used as a withholding agent’s record/ |
Section 5.2 — OMB Requirements for All Forms in This Revenue Procedure
5.2.1 OMB Requirements The Paperwork Reduction Act (the Act) of 1995 (Public Law 104-13) requires that:
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