By Jason Alderman

As you and your spouse celebrate Valentine’s Day over a candle-lit dinner, you may want to avoid romance-killing topics like, “Honey, let’s talk about our financial future.” But you really should have that conversation sooner rather than later to keep your relationship on a healthy footing.

Major life changes may require you to reassess how you manage the family finances. Unfortunately, many couples don’t make time to plan ahead and are later caught off guard around issues like having children, aging parents, planning for emergencies and changing career and retirement goals.

If you haven’t had a financial heart-to-heart lately and aren’t sure what to do next, here are a few suggestions:

Make a financial “date.” Even if you’re in complete agreement on money matters, the family “accountant” should keep his or her spouse in the loop – if nothing else, so they can easily take over in an emergency. Set up regular meetings to discuss bill payments, progress or setbacks regarding savings goals, budgeting for upcoming expenses, and strategies for coping with unforeseen expenses.

Don’t postpone uncomfortable discussions. Should one of you accidentally bounce a check or miss a payment, don’t wait until your next powwow to address it or try to hide the problem. You’ll only make matters worse and create an atmosphere of mistrust. Fess up and deal with the issue right away – you might even save yourself additional late fees or penalties.

Be united. When the news isn’t good – say your 401(k) balances tanked last quarter or one of you got laid off – communication is all the more important. Whether you need to temporarily tighten the budget or make a major life-altering decision like postponing retirement, talk it through and be prepared to compromise so neither party becomes the bad guy.

Reaffirm your goals. Couples often start out with one game plan but then life deals an unexpected hand and goals change. Touch base periodically on how you both feel about such major issues as family size, home ownership, career changes, financing college for your kids (or yourselves), financial risk appetite, when and where you’ll retire, and taking care of elderly parents.

Update legal documents. Make sure your legal and financial documents are up to date and reflect your current wishes, including wills, financial and medical powers of attorney, life insurance policies, retirement accounts, investment funds and any other accounts where beneficiaries or people who control your health or finances are named.

Follow your budget. Some of the worst marital disagreements occur when one or both parties sabotage the family budget. If you don’t already have a budget, many free tools are available. Check out the U.S. Treasury Department’s www.mymoney,gov, www.mint.com and Practical Money Skills for Life, a free personal financial management site run by Visa Inc. (www.practicalmoneyskills.com).

Seek help. If you discover that you’ve gotten off track or need help realigning your financial goals, a number of outside resources are available:

The NFCC can help you locate a free or low-cost credit counselor.
You can find a financial planner or advisor through the Financial Planning Association (www.fpnet.org), the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (www.cfp.net), or the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (www.napfa.org).

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Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney

By Mary Hunt

I’ve always thought of myself as pretty sharp when it comes to spotting supermarket trickery. I’m not even fazed by an end-cap display announcing, “Special.” I know their ways. They hope we’ll just assume that “special” means “super cheap sale.” But we’re so much smarter than that. Which is why I was taken aback by a recent article by our friends over at TLC Discovery Channel. They revealed ways grocery stores trick us into spending more that I’d not considered. Some of these really made me stop and think.

1. TVs at checkout lines. I have not seen this yet, but I hear it’s coming. The trick is to distract us from the checkout scanner while exposing us to product ads for items that are coincidentally within easy reach, or that we’ll encounter on our next shopping trip.

2. Rearranging the store. There’s a reason they do this: To get you out of your rut so you’ll start to notice things you never saw before. While searching for what you need, you’re apt to toss a few new things into your cart that you hadn’t planned. The store wins again.

3. Strategic placement. There’s a psychology in the way stores are laid out. Milk, bread and eggs (common items) are located miles from one another. They know you’ll have to traverse the store from one end to the other. That increases the likelihood you’ll buy more things than you planned. Tricky!

4. Pricey things at eye level. Human nature says, apparently, that humans are more likely to pick up things at eye level than when placed higher or lower. So where do they put the most expensive options? Bingo! Manufacturers actually pay a premium to have their items placed at eye level.
5. Unit pricing. It’s a good thing that stores now have labels showing the per-ounce or per-pint price, right? Sure, as long as all of the options are broken down in the same way. But what happens when ice cream is shown as per ounce for one brand, per gram for another and per pint for that one over there? Not easy to compare. The trick is to confuse us so we’ll just grab the one at eye level.

6. Diluting liquids. Items like liquid laundry detergent, cleaners and fruit juices can be difficult to price compare. While one brand may be priced cheaper than its name-brand competitor, it may be watered down considerably and therefore cheaper. Become a label reader to avoid getting tricked.

7. Grouping complementary items. You have tortilla chips on your list, but not fresh gourmet salsa, sour cream and grated premium cheese. But hey, they just happened to be arranged so beautifully right there with the chips, so why not? Or you grab the sale-priced eggs, but then see the hash browns, milk and premium brand English muffins right in the same bin. How thoughtful. The only problem: All those accessories are full-priced. Yet another tricky way the store gets you to spend more.

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com.

By Terry Savage

Managing your finances successfully is just a question of “mind over money.” All the knowledge in the world won’t help you become successful if you lack knowledge — and self-discipline.

You’ve all heard the ordinary instructions about managing your money and investing successfully. Think rationally. Don’t behave emotionally. Be disciplined. Well, it’s easier said than done. Maybe that’s why most people kick themselves for selling at the bottom and rue the day they bought at the top of the market. Or why the post-holiday hangover of credit-card bills makes you wonder what you were thinking that last week of shopping.

You’ve heard the rules before — and later in this column, I’ll give you three basic money mistakes to overcome. But first, there’s a new book out with a fascinating approach to dealing with the emotions of money management.

Denise Shull, author of “Market Mind Games,” is an internationally recognized pioneer in the new psychology of risk and uncertainty. She’s the founder of ReThink Group Inc., a New York-based consulting firm that helps increase performance by using the science called neuro-economics, an interesting approach to behavioral economics.

Basically, what Shull advises is not that you try to beat down all your emotions so they don’t impact your investment performance. She says that’s not only impossible, but counterproductive. Every decision includes an emotion. So instead, Shull advises that you recognize the impact of those emotions — the meaning they are imparting to your thinking. After all, it isn’t the emotion that needs to be controlled, it is the actions you take that need to be directed.

Schull says you need to feel, acknowledge and deal with your emotions in order to gain the advantage — and trade or invest successfully. The feelings themselves become “data” to be incorporated into your decision-making.

“Market Mind Games” reads more like a mystery romance novel than a psychological dissertation. It is must-reading for anyone who intends to do more than just invest a regular amount monthly into a diversified 40l(k) portfolio. That’s not to say that a regular dollar investment is a bad idea. In fact, for most people, who have neither the time nor the self-discipline to read this book, a long-term monthly investment plan is truly a better solution.

Then again, you might want to read this book just for the knowledge of how your emotions rule your brain — and to learn how to recognize the urge to dump your plan, and your stocks, in a moment of panic.

Now, if you’re looking to do things differently this year, here are the three big money mistakes you probably made last year — and how to make sure you don’t make them again this year!

MONEY MISTAKE No. 1:

CLOSING OUR EYES

No one wants to hear bad news, and these days, you’re likely to find bad news when you open your bank statement, credit card bill, or your 40l(k) or IRA statements. There are some people who simply toss their stock market investment envelopes in the drawer and never open them!

But things will never get better if you don’t open your eyes, take a close look at the details, and then get the big picture. This is the right time of year to do it, because you’re getting your year-end statements.

Make lists: what you own (your investments), what you owe (your bills) and your goals. Open your eyes to face reality. Like it or not, this is YOU, and you need to know where you stand in order to change things. And if you can’t figure out how to do that on your own, seek help.

Which brings us to the second mistake.

MONEY MISTAKE No. 2:

BEING STUBBORN

If you’ve “always done it this way” and it’s still working, that’s fine. But if you don’t like your current financial situation, you have to CHANGE! Change is difficult for everyone — some more than others. We’re talking about being open to change everything from how you pay your bills, what credit cards you carry in your wallet, even to changing the mutual funds in your IRA or 40l(k).

Ask yourself why you’re doing things this way — and then ask around or do some online research to see if there is a better way of doing things. Values and principles don’t change, but time and technology change techniques and opportunities. You have to be open to change as well. Especially if you want different results.

MONEY MISTAKE No. 3: MAKING EMOTIONAL DECISIONS

There are two emotions that confront you whenever you make financial decisions: FEAR and GREED. (Greed may be better defined as the “fear of missing out.”) Think about it. You never deal with those emotions when you’re deciding what movie to see or what dress to buy. But money decisions bring out these two motivators, and they often override common sense.

We all know how dangerous greed is. It makes you think home prices or stock prices will rise forever. But fear can be equally dangerous, because it paralyzes you, and can keep you from taking appropriate risk. The trick is to know when fear is a good risk-management signal and when it is something else. Making that decision requires you to stop before acting and to think rationally about the issue.

You can’t stop these emotions from appearing, but you can recognize them and resolve never to act out of panic, without thinking through the consequences of each financial decision.

Unless you’re perfectly happy with last year’s results, do at least one thing differently this year. At least you won’t be bored! And that’s The Savage Truth.

Terry Savage is the Chicago Sun-Times’ nationally syndicated financial columnist and a registered investment adviser. Post personal finance questions on her blog at TerrySavage.com and blogs.suntimes.com/savage.

Terry Savage is a registered investment adviser and is on the board of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. She appears weekly on WMAQ-Channel 5′s 4:30 p.m. newscast, and can be reached at www.terrysavage.com. She is the author of the new book, “The New Savage Number: How Much Money Do You Really Need to Retire?” To find out more about Terry Savage and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

By Jason Alderman

For most of us, income tax calculations don’t change much from year to year. But thanks to the roller coaster economy of the past few years, many people have undergone major life changes that can have a significant impact – good or bad – on their taxable income and how they should file taxes.

Even though April 17 (this year’s tax-filing deadline) is a ways off, it’s never too soon to start planning your strategy, particularly if you experienced financial hardships in 2011 that could affect your taxes. The IRS has a handy guide called “The What Ifs of an Economic Downturn” (search www.irs.gov) that reviews the tax impacts of different scenarios such as job loss, debt forgiveness or tapping a retirement fund.

Here’s a roundup of common economic challenges you may be facing and their possible tax implications:

You lost your job. Remember that unemployment benefits, severance pay and payout of accumulated vacation or sick leave are all considered taxable income, so if you didn’t have taxes withheld from these payments, be prepared for a potentially nasty tax bill.

If you withdrew money from your regular IRA or 401(k) account to cover expenses, you’ll owe income tax on the amount, plus an additional 10 percent penalty unless you’re over age 59 ½ or meet special circumstances. Also, outstanding 401(k) loans must be repaid (usually within 60 to 90 days of termination) or they’ll be counted taxable income – plus be subject to the same 10 percent penalty.

The good news is that many public assistance benefits such as welfare, food stamps and disaster relief payments don’t count toward taxable income. Read the IRS’s “Tax Impact of Job Loss” for details (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4128.pdf).

Lowered income. If you took a big pay cut or lost your job in 2011, it might lower your adjusted gross income (AGI) enough to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). EITC is a “refundable” tax credit, which means that if you owe less in income tax than your eligible credit, you’ll not only pay no tax, but actually get a refund for the difference. To learn more, search EITC at www.irs.gov.

Forgiven debt. Many people don’t realize that when you borrow money from a bank or other commercial lender and the lender “forgives” the debt, you generally must count the forgiven amount as taxable income.

There are several exceptions to the rule, however: For example, the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 generally allows taxpayers to exclude up to $2 million in forgiven mortgage debt ($1 million if married filing separately) on their principal residence if it came through mortgage restructuring, foreclosure or a short sale. The mortgage exclusion is set to expire at the end of 2012 unless Congress intervenes.

Other exceptions include: Debts discharged through bankruptcy; or, if you are insolvent when the debt is cancelled, some or all of it may not be taxable. (Insolvency means your total debts are greater than the fair market value of your total assets.) For more information, search for Mortgage Debt Forgiveness at www.irs.gov.

Taxes are the last thing you want to worry about when facing financial hardships. Just be sure you’re prepared for the possible tax implications if your income or debt situation has changed in the past year.

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Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney

Ask Carrie by Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz

Dear Carrie: We are getting older and need help managing our investments. What do you suggest for people in our circumstances? —A Reader

Dear Reader: You’re wise to be asking this now because, as much as we don’t like to think about it, the older we get the more likely it is that we’ll need help managing our finances. In fact, a study out of Texas Tech University last year measured how our knowledge of the basic concepts needed to make good financial choices changes as we age. It found that financial literacy scores declined by about 2 percent a year after age 60. Considering that the most recent Survey of Consumer Finances estimates that over 50 percent of the national wealth is controlled by people over 60 — now about 12 percent of the population — there are probably a lot of folks who could use some financial management assistance.

The first and hardest step is to acknowledge that you need help. You’ve done that already, so you’re on the right path. Now you just need to look at your options. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to get financial advice.

CHECK WITH YOUR FAMILY

You could start by talking to an adult child or other relative who has investment knowledge and would be willing to look at your financial picture with you. Sometimes it just takes another perspective to help you feel more in control. Someone who’s close to you and whom you trust could help you review your current investments to see if they’re appropriate for your life stage. Or perhaps you just need someone to periodically look over account statements with you and help you stay on top of everything.

CONSIDER A FINANCIAL ADVISOR

If your financial situation is complicated or your assets are substantial, it’s probably better to have a professional financial advisor. Advisors offer a wide range of services, from one-time consultations to periodic check-ins to complete hands-on management. The type of service that’s right for you depends on the amount of your assets, your knowledge of investing and your feelings about financial control.

If you just want someone to review your portfolio with you and make suggestions, an advisor who will meet with you quarterly or every six months could be adequate. However, if you want someone to actively manage your investments, you should look for an advisor who will create a plan for you and then carry it out.

Another option is a Certified Financial Planner ™ professional who can advise you on aspects of your financial life beyond your portfolio, including things like tax planning, estate planning or insurance.

TAKE YOUR TIME

Finding the right advisor for you takes time and effort. You want someone you’re comfortable with both professionally and personally; someone who will listen to your questions and provide clear, understandable answers; someone who truly has your interests at heart.

Most advisors offer an initial complimentary consultation so you can talk about what you want and what approach the advisor would take. You also want to get a clear idea about how the advisor charges. Will you be charged a flat fee or a fee based on the size of your portfolio? Does the advisor receive any commission, reimbursement or incentive for selling specific types of investments?

ASK QUESTIONS

When you meet with an advisor, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Do they follow a particular investing style? How much money do they manage? Also ask about education and qualifications, recognizing that there is a difference between a broker who primarily sells investment products and a professional whose primary business is giving advice. If you’re talking to an independent advisor, ask to see Form ADV, which he or she is required to file with the SEC or their state. This gives broad information about an advisor and proves they’re registered.

Then get references — and be sure to check them. If any of this makes you uncomfortable, perhaps a friend or family member would be willing to help you.

If you already have a relationship with a brokerage firm, you could start your search for an advisor there. Another good resource is the Financial Planning Association website, FPAnet.org. There you can search for a financial planner by city, state, zip code or specialty and read a bit about what each offers. I’d pick three or four to start and make appointments to interview each.

Whatever type of help you choose, it may initially feel strange to have someone else being involved with your finances. That’s why it’s so important to find a down-to-earth, caring individual that you trust — one you’ll be happy working with now and for years to come. Best of luck.

Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(tm), is president of Charles Schwab Foundation and author of “It Pays to Talk.” You can e-mail Carrie at askcarrie@schwab.com. This column is no substitute for an individualized recommendation, tax, legal or personalized investment advice. To find out more about Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

By Jason Alderman

Getting paid to go shopping may sound like a dream job, but buyer beware: For each legitimate mystery or secret shopper opportunity, probably hundreds more are scams.
In fact, the National Consumers League (NCL) says complaints regarding fraudulent mystery shopper and work-at-home schemes were up nearly 9 percent during the past six months.

Why the increase? It’s due in part to our nation’s high unemployment rates and how desperate people are to earn money while seeking full-time employment. Plus, many people are lured by offers that sound too good to be true (and are).

Here are tips for spotting bogus mystery shopper programs:

Many retailers hire marketing research companies to gauge their employees’ quality of customer service. Those companies in turn hire mystery shoppers to make purchases anonymously and fill out questionnaires documenting their experience. Many research firms belong to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (www.mysteryshop.org), a trade organization that links businesses with mystery shopping providers. (MSPA also provides a search engine where people can register for mystery shopping assignments.)

Unfortunately, scammers increasingly are using newspaper and Internet job ads, emails and phone calls to snare unsuspecting consumers with promises of quick, easy money for minimal effort. Here’s how a typical mystery shopping scam might work:

You answer an ad and are “hired” as a mystery shopper to evaluate its clients’ businesses. The company sends an official-looking employment packet containing the business evaluation forms you’ll supposedly use. But first, you’ll be required to complete a so-called training assignment to make sure you’re a suitable employee. That’s where the fraud comes in:

The company claims it’s evaluating a money transfer service like Western Union.
They send you a large check with instructions to deposit it in your personal checking account.
You are told to keep a certain amount as your fee and then to pose as a customer by wiring the balance to a third party – usually within 48 hours.
You then submit a report about your customer experience.

What you may not realize is that the original check was fake. Scammers know that by law, banks generally must make deposited funds under $5,000 available within a few days. They count on your completing the transaction before the check has been cleared by the issuing bank, which may take several weeks. Once your bank discovers the fraud, it will bounce the check and you are on the hook for the whole amount you wired – plus your wasted time.

Common red flags include:

Legitimate companies will never ask you to send a money transfer for any purpose.
Legitimate companies don’t charge shoppers a fee to work for them.
Be suspicious if you’re hired on the basis of an email or phone call without any interview or background checks.
Companies that promise you can make a lot of money as a mystery shopper are almost certainly scams.
If mystery shoppers are asked to make purchases, it’s usually for very small amounts for which they will be reimbursed.
Mystery shoppers are paid after completing their assignments and returning the questionnaires. Shoppers never receive checks upfront.

Good resources to learn more about bogus mystery shopper and other fake check scams, include the FBI (www.fbi.gov/scams-safety), the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov), the Consumer Federation of America (www.consumerfed.org), and the National Consumers League (www.fakechecks.org/index2.html).

This article is intended to provide general information and should not be considered legal, tax or financial advice. It’s always a good idea to consult a tax or financial advisor for specific information on how certain laws apply to your situation and about your individual financial situation.

Nearly one and a half million families have been able to positively change their financial situation through Financial Peace University (FPU), the 13-week course taught by Dave Ramsey on DVD. FPU teaches families and individuals common-sense principles like how to make a plan with their money so they are able to free themselves of debt and build lasting wealth.
FPU is available for churches, military, non-profit agencies, and businesses.
“Because of the lessons we learned in FPU, we have been able to pay off $36,000 in just 17 months!” says Christine Cohn, a former FPU participant. “Debt had caused us to stop dreaming because we couldn’t look into the future without feeling stressed. Now we have a plan for our money and working together for our future.”
After each lesson there is a small group discussion that provides accountability and encouragement. Topics include saving for emergencies, budgeting, relationships and money, and getting out debt.
FPU will be held in Longview at:
Fellowship Bible Church located at 4600 McCann Road in Longview. The classes will begin Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 6:30 PM. Contact Kerry Speicher at (903)663-9591 for more information or to register.

City of Longview offices will be closed Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Sanitation will continue normal trash collection services on Monday, January 16. The Compost Facility will be closed on Monday, January 16 as well as Tuesday, January 17.

The Longview Public Library will be closed Monday, January 16 for the holiday; however, the book drop will remain open.

The Broughton Recreation Center, Paula Martin Jones Recreation Center and the Senior Recreation Center will be closed on Monday, January 16.

Longview Transit, the public bus transportation system, will remain open and will be on the regular schedule throughout holiday.

To report a water or sewer emergency please call 903-236-3030.

By Terry Savage

Consider this news to be another step in the Tax Accountants Full Employment Act. The latest change in the tax law: The “Kiddie Tax” now applies to much older kids! The new tax law puts a crimp in the plans of wealthy parents who had planned to gift highly appreciated stocks to their college-age children, who could then sell the shares and pay a very low capital gains tax rate based on their low income.
Raising the age threshold until 2005, the tax on a child’s unearned income, such as dividends, interest and capital gains, was paid at the parents’ marginal rate if the child was under age 14. But last year, the age limit was raised, requiring children under age 18 to be taxed at the parents’ rate. And starting in tax year 2008, the age limit will apply to children under age 19 — or to “kiddies” who are full-time students under the age of 24.
(Note: This rule does not apply to “earned income,” such as from a summer job, or even to a baby who earns modeling fees. That earned income can still be reported on a child’s separate return, and taxed at the child’s lower rate.)
The concept of gifting appreciated stock to children who would pay lower tax rates was considered a “loophole” by the pro-tax lobby, who believes all income belongs to the government, and it will decide how much you can keep.
By closing that opportunity, the government expects to collect as much as $1.5 billion in extra tax revenues over the next 10 years.
This “loophole” has been a particularly enticing opportunity in recent years, because of capital gains rates that have been dropping for those in the lowest two brackets (10 percent and 15 percent).
The maximum capital gains tax rate on assets held for at least one year is 15 percent — no matter what your ordinary income tax bracket (with a few exceptions for collectibles and some other assets). But for those in the lowest two brackets in tax year 2007, the maximum tax on capital gains is only 5 percent.
(For 2007, on an individual return, that 10 percent bracket applies to those who have taxable income less than $7,825. The 15 percent tax bracket tops out at taxable income of $31,850.)
In 2008, it would have been an even better deal, because in 2008, the capital gains tax rates will drop to zero — yes, you read correctly: zero percent — for those in the lowest two tax brackets. This zero rate will be particularly helpful to low-income senior citizens who may have to sell long-held stocks to pay living expenses. Now parents who want to transfer appreciated stocks to low-income kids — who would be able to cash in at the lowest or zero capital gains rates — will find themselves locked out of this deal.
Mark Luscombe, principal tax analyst at CCH, says there are a few exceptions: “These kiddie tax rules do not apply to a child who is married and files a joint return. And a new rule says the kiddie tax does not apply if the child’s own earned income provides more than one-half of their support.”
But Luscombe goes on to point out: “This has really frustrated efforts to transfer assets to children to fund college tuition expenses.
But it is still useful for parents who want to transfer assets that their children can hold until the first year after graduation — before they are earning a big salary. Then the grad can sell at his own lower tax rate — and use the proceeds to pay off student loans.”
As long as there is a Congress, there will be new tax rules. And there will be accountants to figure out a way around them.
Surely, we could put all this expensive talent to better use! The flat tax or national sales tax look more appealing every day. And that’s The Savage Truth.
Terry Savage is a registered investment adviser and is on the board of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

The Internal Revenue Service opened the 2012 tax filing season by announcing that taxpayers have until April 17 to file their tax returns.
The IRS encourages taxpayers to e-file as it is the best way to ensure accurate tax returns and get faster refunds.

Taxpayers will have until Tuesday, April 17 to file their 2011 tax returns and pay any tax due because April 15 falls on a Sunday, and Emancipation Day, a holiday observed in the District of Columbia, falls this year on Monday, April 16. According to federal law, District of Columbia holidays impact tax deadlines in the same way that federal holidays do; therefore, all taxpayers will have two extra days to file this year. Taxpayers requesting an extension will have until Oct. 15 to file their 2011 tax returns.

The IRS expects to receive more than 144 million individual tax returns this year, with most of those being filed by the April 17 deadline.

The IRS will begin accepting e-file and Free File returns on Jan. 17, 2012. Additional details about e-file and Free File will be announced later this month. IRS Free File provides options for free brand-name tax software or online fillable forms plus free electronic filing. Everyone can use Free File to prepare a federal tax return. Taxpayers who make $57,000 or less can choose from approximately 20 commercial software providers. There’s no income limit for Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms, which also includes free e-filing.

The IRS also reminds paid tax return preparers they must have and include a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) on all returns they prepare. All PTINs must be renewed for 2012. Tax return preparers can obtain or renew PTINs online