02:17 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 12, 2006

By WALT ZWIRKO / WFAA-TV

The IRS Web site links to 20 providers in its Free File program.

The clock is ticking toward that date almost all Americans dread: the federal income tax deadline.

While it's patriotic to give Uncle Sam his due, the process can also be painful. So advances in technology provide a welcome way to help ease the pain.

Don't feel badly if you've left your income tax until zero hour—you're not alone.

Because April 15 falls on a Saturday this year, you actually have a couple of extra days—until midnight on Monday, April 17—to file a return.

The Internal Revenue Service has been working to make it easier than ever to help smooth an admittedly complicated process. "It's surprising," said Bert DuMars, the agency's director of electronic tax administration. "Many people who have refunds actually wait 'til the last second."

Should you panic if you fall into that category? No.

The IRS Web site has just everything you need to get your return ready by the Monday deadline.

"Go into the section called 'Electronic IRS,'" DuMars advised. "We have all the information there on how to e-file, and we also have a program called 'Free File' for those who qualify."

Free File is for you if your adjusted gross income is $50,000 or less.

There are 20 companies offering free online tax preparation—from e-Smart Tax to something called Tax Slayer.com—and you can only get to these Free File providers via the IRS Web site.

I'm inclined to recommend companies that have a proven track record in tax preparation, like Turbo Tax (from the makers of Quicken) and TaxCut (from H&R Block). Both of these products have been around since the early 90s, and their offerings each score highly in independent reviews.

But no matter which service you choose, refunds come faster when you avoid using paper.

"The best way to to it is e-file that return and make sure you're getting it on direct deposit," DuMars said. "If you do both of those things, typically those refunds are put back into your account within two weeks—sometimes even faster."

And that leads to the biggest question most taxpayers have: Where's my refund?

The answer is just a couple of clicks away on the IRS home page. Fill in your Social Security number, your tax filing status and the amount of the refund you applied for, and you'll have the information you need in seconds.

"Last year, a little over 51 percent of all individual taxpayers took advantage of e-file," DuMars said. "This year, we're expecting it to be close to 55 percent. That's well over 70 million returns."

I didn't use Free File, but I did use TaxCut software to prepare and file my return last month. There was a refund due, and it was directly deposited in my account just 12 days. Your mileage may vary.

Even income tax traditionalists will find something to like about the IRS Web site. It features a printable version of every conceivable form you might ever need, many of which can even be filled in on screen. So you can prepare your taxes the old-fashioned way and then neatly type in the information before printing.

You should always print out your final tax forms for your records. And if you use tax preparation software to do your taxes, you can (and should) save the files to a CD or floppy disc and file it away in your records—perhaps even store a copy at another location (like a safe deposit box).

Watch Computer Corner every Wednesday on News 8 Midday at noon, or online any time.

E-mail askwalt@wfaa.com