Last-minute tax tips

If you've waited until today to file your taxes, you're either preparing for a long wait at the post office, or doing some button-pushing at the computer. Here are tips for both types of filers.

•The IRS says that if your mailed return is lost in transit and you can prove that you mailed it on time, you won't be penalized. So if you're mailing your return, be sure to choose Certified Mail, which lets you verify the date and time of delivery online. You'll get a stamped receipt at the time of mailing. Someone at the IRS is then required to sign at the time of delivery. The cost for Certified Mail is $2.65, plus the cost of postage. You can also ask for a return receipt for an additional fee. (FYI, the Postal Service says Certified is a better option than Registered Mail, which is for items of value. Your tax return may be very valuable to you and the IRS, but viewed as a collection of paper sheets, it's worth little.)

•Even if you're mailing your return, you can arrange to have your refund and stimulus rebate direct-deposited. It's a great way to ensure that the money arrives quickly and doesn't get lost. Some payments cannot be direct-deposited however, so click here for details.

•If you're preparing and filing electronically, you still have lots of last-minute prep options, both within the IRS's Free File system and outside of it. We reviewed three major Free File options, CompleteTax, TaxAct and TaxCut. In our recent test, it took about an hour to prepare a relatively simple federal and state return online with all three products. TaxAct and TurboTax also offer free, basic tax-prep software and filing outside of Free File for those folks who don't meet the Free File requirements. FYI, the TurboTax folks say they have the fixed the system issues that caused problems for late electronic filers last year.

•All the major software packages have IRS Form 4868 to file for an automatic extension. If you file for an extension, your deadline is October 15. Remember, with an extension, you still have to pay today what you think you owe. You won't be penalized later if your payment is at least 90 percent of the actual amount due.

•The IRS says it will be adding a section to its Web site to enable folks to track the status of their stimulus payments, similar to the "Where's My Refund?" section it offers now. So stay tuned!