The best software for online taxes? This, of course, is a matter of extreme opinion. Everyone has their specific brand that they like to use (like Coke and Pepsi), but there is definitely some programs out there that are better and easier to use than others.

I would recommend first the ever popular TurboTax. It offers many different levels from Basic to Premiere depending on your specific tax deduction needs and is easy to use. TurboTax takes you through step-by-step instructions and all you have to do is plug in your numbers and information. A well trusted program guaranteed to give you accurate calculations and may even find some deductions you didn’t even know you had! And with Audit Defense, you are protected if the IRS ever comes a knocking.

The other program I recommend is H&R Block at Home. As a trusted name in your taxes for years, you can relax knowing that your e-filing with TaxCut is as easy as taking your papers to H&R Block (without having to pay a preparer).  With an easy to follow 1040 form, you can get your taxes out quickly and painlessly. They even offer direct deposit into your checking account to save you extra time and trips to the mailbox and bank.

Start with these user-friendly applications and you should be fine.

With so many different software choices, what is the cheapest way to file your taxes and make the most of your refund? This, again, can make a difference if you have what they call “difficult” taxes. But, like always, I’m going to focus on the majority of us. These are in order of cost and do not reflect the ease of use or any order of preference.

#1  TurboTax Basic — Free Federal and $29.95 State

#2  H&R Block at Home Free — Free Federal and $29.95 State

#3  CompleteTax — Free Federal and $24.95 State

Of those listed above, we recommend TurboTax — it’s what I use! You can also try checking out if your state offers free tax filing, like Illinois’ Webfile.

Where are those blasted W2s? The one thing most of us depend on to do our taxes. But guess what? Having no W2 is no excuse to the IRS for not having your taxes in on time. Well, here are some key dates and some things you can do if you don’t get your paperwork.

January 1st: official end of the year for your taxes
January 11th: first day the IRS is accepting e-filing from individual filers
mid-January: your boss should be sending out your W2’s at this time
February 15th: if you don’t receive your W2s by this date, it is now acceptable waiting time to contact the IRS and find out where they are.

Hopefully you have a kind boss who will get you your forms in a timely manner, but if you don’t see them, he/she is the first place to start. Inquire of your boss or HR person to find out if the forms did in fact make it to the mail.

If that doesn’t work, then call the IRS. Simply tell the helpful person who answers that you did not get your forms and hopefully they can help you track them down. This can take a few days.

In the mean time, you can start to calculate your taxes if you did what you were always taught and saved your last paycheck stub of the year. With the YTD amounts on your stub, you should be able to easily recreate a W2 form. This is acceptable, but watch your calculations.

If your W2 does finally show up, even if you have already filed, double check your numbers. If you do find a discrepancy, you will need to file a 1040X form to reconcile the difference.

Now hopefully you can all stop panicking. There are ways to complete your taxes without your forms, but unless it is already February, relax and wait. They should be coming and you don’t want to be hasty and cost yourself money in penalties for basic miscalculation.

With so many forms, what you need to e-file will vary depending on your unique financial situation. However, there are some basic things we will all need no matter your tax situation.

First is the obvious W2 form(s). You should receive a W2 from every employer you have worked for in the past year (unless you are self-employed or a contractor. Then you will have to get your 1099s together. These document your income). These should be coming to you during the month of January. If you do not see your forms by February 15th, you will need to contact the IRS.

Second, collect those 1098s. This documents your mortgage interest (for those of us who have one).

Third is all those receipts you have been collecting for your charitable donations. You must have these to process deductions.

Fourth is all your info on your stocks and basic investments. You need to add in your gains and losses.

Lastly is your property tax information. Since this varies quite a bit depending on where you live, you need to have the proper figures on this too.

So, if you get these basics together, unless you have a great deal of investments or other capital, you should have everything you need to process your 2009 taxes efficiently.

Then select an online eFile program such as TurboTax Free Edition or H&R Block at Home and get started!

Everyone is qualified to efile for free. Get your refund in as little as 9 days. E-file with TurboTax today. It’s Easy