Imagine doing taxes without having to make sure a pencil is sharp, find a calculator, or erase errors on a tax return. Imagine not having to worry about incorrectly adding or missing deductions.

Taxpayers who worry about such concerns each year as April 15 approaches may find that using an online tax program to prepare their returns can make the process less painful. Manual tax preparation requires the taxpayer to think, but using an online tax service is more about answering questions and entering data. In effect, all the addition and subtraction involved with the old-fashioned means of tax preparation is replaced by typing and mouse-moving on a computer or laptop.

Places to file your taxes online can be found by searching the internet, where you can find various programs, each offering different options for different costs. Each website may vary with the addition of different options including:

• Basic tax filing programs
• Enhanced programs that ask dozens of questions designed to help increase deductions
• Programs for taxpayers who own investment and rental properties
• home and business

The decision to file taxes online also allows a taxpayer to do their taxes on their schedule. Most online programs allow a user to log out and log back in at the point where they left off. Of course, finding the original paperwork and the calculator is now replaced with remember the password selected to log into the program. There are usually numbers or email addresses to reach someone about any problems using these tax filing websites.

Another advantage of using an online program is that the actual presentation can also be done with a few mouse clicks. Filing a return no longer involves getting a neat copy of the return, finding an envelope, and attaching a stamp.

Instead, a taxpayer adds their signature electronically and hits “submit.” The process of getting your return accepted by the federal or state government can take a day or two, so it’s best not to wait until the last minute (the translation is, although electronic filing makes preparing your return faster , you shouldn’t wait until the last minute). 5:00 p.m. on April 15).

In most cases, filing your tax returns online is free. The actual cost is incurred with filing. That’s why it’s important to have a credit or debit card handy to enter account information. Along with a card, there are still a few things a taxpayer should have ready to enter the program:

• All W2 forms from current or prior year employers;
• Receipts for deductions;
• Receipts or canceled checks for donations to charities, churches, or other organizations;
• Medical receipts;
• Canceled checks for any other purchase or expense

The bottom line is that using an online system can make tax preparation and filing more convenient by holding a taxpayer’s hand while guiding them through the process via cyberspace.