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Income tax guide

Advice and tips for preparing your 2012 income tax return

Published: February 2013

Preparing and filing a tax return doesn't have to be a trying or anxious annual experience. And while the IRS offers plenty of tax help online, Consumer Reports' personal-finance experts also have tax tips that you might also find useful as the April 15 deadline approaches.

Filing your 2012 return

Preparing and filing

How to save money on tax prep
Preparing your taxes online?
File your tax return online for free
Help for DIY tax preparations
Track down the best tax preparer

Tips and traps of tax prep

Tricks of the trade from the pros
Dos and don'ts of tax deductions
Audit-proof your tax return
8 ways to avoid tax-time headaches
Avoid these tax season rip-offs

Tax season security

Prevent ID theft during tax season
Stay safe while preparing and filing online
Best paper shredders

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