| Most Americans hate preparing and filing their taxes. | | | | 1. You must have an adjusted gross income of less |
| To take the sting off of doing them, the IRS free file | | | | than $52,000. Remember, that is adjusted, as in the |
| program enters its third year. | | | | figure you come up with after claiming most |
| You hate doing your taxes and so do I. The only thing | | | | deductions. |
| that is worse is having to pay for an accountant or tax | | | | That is it. Shocking, eh? There is, however, a |
| preparation software. Well, now you do not. You may | | | | secondary question you need to take into account. |
| not realize it, but you may be one of the 70 percent of | | | | Should you use the free file program to prepare your |
| Americans that qualify for the IRS free file program. | | | | taxes? |
| In 2003, the IRS apparently got tired of hearing people | | | | There is nothing inherently wrong with the free file tax |
| complain about preparing their taxes. To stem at least | | | | program. In fact, the IRS should be applauded for |
| some of the criticism, the agency put together a | | | | putting it together considering there was no |
| program with various computer software companies | | | | requirement for it to do so. The only potential downside |
| that allow you to prepare and file your taxes for free. | | | | is you might overpay on taxes if you have a |
| The companies range from H&R Block to Tax | | | | complicated tax situation. The tax code is huge and |
| Pros. The key is you have to go to the IRS site and | | | | software programs more or less stick to the basics. If |
| enter the program from there. To do so, just search | | | | you have a complicated financial situation such as a |
| for free file on the excellent site. If you don't access | | | | real estate investor or sole proprietor, you are probably |
| the program this way, you will end up paying. | | | | better off using a CPA. |
| So, who is eligible to use the free file program? A | | | | At the end of the day, the IRS free file program will |
| surprisingly large number of people. To use the | | | | work for most Americans. Now all you have to do is |
| program, you have to meet the following criteria. | | | | get all that information together! |