IRS Schedule LEP Instructions
As more and more taxpayers are coming to the United States with a preferred language other than English, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has tried to make tax forms and correspondence more accessible in different languages. In 2020, as part of this initiative, the IRS introduced IRS Schedule LEP for taxpayers to request correspondence in one of 20 different languages.
In this article, we’ll walk through IRS Schedule LEP, including:
- How to complete IRS Schedule LEP
- Different languages available to taxpayers
- Frequently asked questions
Let’s start by walking through this tax form.
Table of contents
How do I complete IRS Schedule LEP?
This one-page tax form is surprisingly simple to complete.
Taxpayer information
At the top of Schedule LEP, make sure that your tax information is the same as what is listed on your individual income tax return.
Name
Your name should be exactly the same as how it appears on your tax return.
Joint return
If you are filing a joint return, then each spouse must complete IRS Schedule LEP to receive tax correspondence from the Internal Revenue Service in his or her preferred alternative language.
Social Security number
Your Social Security number should match that on your tax return. If you are ineligible for a Social Security number, then you may use your individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) in this field.
If you do not have an ITIN, then you must apply for one using IRS Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
Line 1: Preferred language
IRS Schedule LEP contains 20 different languages, in addition to English. Those languages include:
- Spanish (Español)
- Korean (한국어)
- Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)
- Russian (Pусский)
- Arabic (العربية)
- Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen)
- Tagalog (Tagalog)
- Portuguese (Português)
- Polish (Polski)
- Farsi (رسی)
- French (Français)
- Japanese (日本語)
- Gujarati (ગુજરાતી)
- Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ)
- Khmer (ែខ�រ)
- Urdu (اردو)
- Bengali (বাংলা)
- Italian (Italiano)
- Chinese (Traditional) 中文(繁體)
- Chinese (Simplified) 中文(简体)
You may select one language preference.
How to file Schedule LEP
You should file Schedule LEP with your income tax return. If you e-file your tax return, do not mail Schedule LEP to the IRS.
Video walkthrough
Learn more about requesting IRS correspondence in your preferred language format by watching this brief, instructional video.
Frequently asked questions
Schedule LEP is an optional tax form that individuals may file with their federal tax return if they would like to receive IRS correspondence in a language other than English. Taxpayers may choose from 20 different preferred languages with Schedule LEP.
The IRS instructions do not appear to directly answer this question. If this is your first time you may consider filing Schedule each year as a precaution. This will allow you to receive IRS correspondence in your preferred language without interruption.
According to the IRS, taxpayers may expect notifications in their preferred language, such as formal letters and notices. They may also expect to receive correspondence, tax forms, instructions, publications, and accompanying inserts in their requested language.
Where can I find IRS Schedule LEP?
As with other tax forms, you may find Schedule LEP on the IRS website. For your convenience, we’ve attached the latest version of this tax form to this article.
You can also download the Schedule LEP instructions in your preferred language. Just check out the file below the Schedule itself!
Related tax articles
This tax form is one of the fillable tax forms provided by the Internal Revenue Service, to help taxpayers reduce their tax preparation costs. To see more forms like this, visit our free fillable tax forms page, where you’ll also find articles like this.
Unlike the IRS, our articles contain step by step instructions for each tax form, as well as video walkthroughs. You can also check out all of our videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel!