Tax tips from yours truly...

My taxes are done, and gosh was it painless! (Not that I want to rub it in the faces of those who find themselves juggling returns from multiple states... )

Since I find myself with all this extra time originally dedicated to tax-related activities, I have decided to write "Dana's Guide to Bustin' Up Dem Taxes." Here are my top three tips:

1. Forget about incidental deductions.
Let's do the cost-benefit analysis on this one. Are you really going to save that much by itemizing all your little expenses, like your books for school or your moving van rental? No. And filling out all those extra boxes takes so much time!

2. Use H & R Block online.
The benefit of this doesn't really kick in until you've used it a couple years in a row, but start now and you'll be thanking your lucky stars next year at tax time. They save all your information from one year to the next so all you have to do is punch in is this year's numbers. Name, address, AGI from last year? It's already all up in there, baby!

3. Make very little money.
This one may seem counter-intuitve, but when it comes to doing your taxes it really helps to have an income of next to nothing. Hey, the less you make, the less the federal and state governments can pry from your impoverished little fist!

So there you go. Take it from me: you follow these three simple guidelines and you too will find yourself with a much easier task in front of you when it comes to filling out those 1040's, those schedule M, R, and T's and any other incomprehensible forms they can throw at you. Good luck, my friends!