Frequently Asked Questions

Online Forms Questions

1. When I click on a form, the tax forms appear and then suddenly disappears. Why?

   Some PC pop-up blockers can prevent complete downloading of Louisiana state tax forms associated with electronic filing. Your PC might be having this problem if you have visited the LDR website and had displayed tax forms appear and then suddenly disappear.
   
   There’s an easy way to solve this inconvenience. Simply turn off your PC’s pop-up blocker prior to accessing the LDR website. If you experience further problems keep in mind that there are numerous software vendors that distribute pop-up blockers. If you are unsure of how to turn off your blocker, you may want to contact the software vendor for further instructions. You may also want to see "How can I download a form directly to my hard drive and stop the form from displaying in the web browser window?"

2. How can I download a form directly to my hard drive and stop the form from displaying in the web browser window?

   Use the "Save Target As..." (or "Save Link As...") browser option to download the PDF file directly to your hard drive and bypass the Acrobat Reader plug-in.

   1. Go to the page containing the link of the file you are trying to save.
   2. Move your mouse pointer over the link on the page.
   3. Right click (or left click, if your mouse is configured for left handed operation) on the link.
   4. Click on "Save Target As..." (or "Save Link As...") when presented with a menu.
   5. Select a location on your PC to save the file, if you are not used to saving files, save it to the desktop.

   Use Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file after downloading. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it free.

3. When I download a PDF form, I get a message claiming that the PDF file is damaged (or corrupted). Is your file damaged?

   All of our PDF files are verified prior to posting on the web site. Most likely your download was not successful. Exit your browser and try to download the file again.

4. When I tried to download a PDF form, I got a message asking me what application to use. I selected Word (or another program). Now all I see is weird symbols when I look at the file. What can I do?

   The majority of online LDR forms are in a PDF file format. To view these files, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it free. The easiest way to fix your problem, is to install Adobe Acrobat Reader. Once the installation is complete (you may have to restart your computer), your computer will no longer use Word to view the PDF file. Your computer will use Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the files instead.

5. How do I remove the JavaScript to retain data from the PDF forms?

   Note: You will need Acrobat Professional Software. Acrobat Reader will not allow you to remove the script or save the document.

   • Open the PDF using Adobe Acrobat Professional Software
   • Click on the "Pages Tab" (located on left side of page)
   • Highlight all the pages in document by holding down the shift key and individually clicking each page.
   • Click on "Options" at the top of the panel. Then click on page properties (bottom of page).
   • The next screen will show 2 tabs ("Tab Order" and "Actions"). Click on the "Actions" tab.
   • The following screen will have 2 sections, "Add Actions" and "Actions".
   • Under "Actions" (2nd section), click to highlight "Page Open".
   • Click the "Delete" button then hit "close".
   • Press "X" to close out.

   You now should be able to retain the data that you saved.

6. How can I get a copy of my tax return?

   Taxpayers may request copies of any tax return or other previously filed document by completing a Tax Information Disclosure Authorization, Form R-7004. Instructions for the form can be found here.

   As of July 17, 2015, the research fee for copies of tax returns authorized by R.S. 47:1507 are as follows:

   • $15.00 for a copy of any tax return or other document for each year or tax period requested, regardless of whether the requested return or document is located.
   • $25.00 for each certified copy of any return or other document for each year or tax period requested, regardless of whether the requested return or document is located.

   All research fees for copies must be paid when you submit the Tax Information Disclosure Authorization, Form R-7004. Payments can be by check or money order made payable to the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Cash cannot be accepted. Credit card payments can be submitted in Louisiana File Online.