Free Tax Help (and Some Things You Should Know)

Filed in archive Taxes on January 25, 2009

Tax time is upon us. And before you run down with all you paperwork in tow and pay someone like H&R Block, consider your other options...

Shannon Buggs had a good article about those other options in the Houston Chronicle earlier this week.

Two words stood out to me in Shannon's story: Free Help. Like they say, free is good. I worked on a college campus once where every year the students in the accounting department held tax clinics as a public service. You could bring your papers by and they'd do your taxes while you sat there and answered questions. There's plenty of that sort of thing out there.

You should also be aware that there are people out there charging money and calling themselves "tax preparers" even though they've never had a class or passed a test. And that's perfectly legal.

You can look at Shannon's suggestions here.


Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 7846402