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How to do your taxes
Let me tell you how it will be

Less than two months from now, the sun will be shining, your friends will be hosting the first barbecue of the season, and you'll be stuck inside on a Sunday, doing your taxes. Probably April 13, knowing you.

Not me. I'll be horking down some kielbasa and swilling beer and generally mocking you. Plus I'll eat what's on your plate. Why, you ask? Cuz I'm mean. That and the fact that I'm doing my taxes as soon as I get my W-2s. Everything else I need is on the Net.

From forms to advice to tests, if it's about taxes, it's online. Even for Canadians. The only thing you can't do on the Net is file your taxes directly with the IRS. Because of some government screw-up involving 17 million of your dollars, you've still got to go through a separate service to file online. (Great. I'll be getting audited now.) Unless you're filing a 1040EZ or 1040A , it'll cost you. Don't have a freak-out -- some fees are pretty great -- under $20.

It's so cool that you don't have to go to the post office or the library or the federal building to get tax forms anymore. As long as you've got Web access, you can go git 'em yourself. Should you require help, you've got options: You can surf on over to some major players in the accounting world, check out layperson's tips, or get free advice from someone in between. And don't forget the truckloads of tax software available for purchase online.

If you're scared about how much you may owe, you can take baby steps by using a tax calculator to get a general idea. And of course, because everyone except Willie Nelson files their taxes, you can get as much advice as you can tolerate. Self-appointed tax experts are hovering in newsgroups and personal home pages, just waiting to wax taxetic. You can even find out how to avoid meeting the taxman face-to-face.

So not only will I be taunting you with beer on the Sunday before tax day, but I will be decked out in my spiffy new madras shorts and Hawaiian shirt, courtesy of the IRS, having received my refund in the promptest manner after filing electronically.

Here's to you, Old Leave-Everything- Til-The-Last-Minute. Don't forget to carry the 1.

-- M. Trouble Sample

Here's How - Click for more!
Click for more!


Here's How - Click for more!
Kathryn M. McGrail tells how
to get it done on the Net:
How can I get basic tax information?
Can I get help from the IRS?
How can I get quick help or specific advice?
How can I learn about state and local tax requirements?
How about tax help for small business?
Can I get tax software online?
How do I file electronically?

Snappy Picks

Getting started
$5 Tax Tip
Federal Tax Calendar
NetTax '9X
Robert's Online Tax Pricer
Tax Refund Calculator
Telefile

Filing electronically
AccuFile
AutoTax
Dr. Tax and EFILE
Electronic Filing Service Inc.
Electronic Filing from Parsons Technology
1040.com

Tax prep services
Ernst & Young
H&R Block
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service

Tax advice
1997 Tax Outlook
Income Tax Information in Internet
Personal Finance Center
TaxCruiser
Tax Foundation
TaxLogic News & Information
The Tax Prophet
1040.com

Personal tax software
TurboTax and MacInTax
Kiplinger TaxCut 1996
Parsons 1040 Online Product Menu
Auto Tax
TaxWiz'96


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