Thanks - I efiled last year, guess I'll do that this year if USAA offers TurboTax for free again. I just downloaded forms and instructions to do a penciled-in rough estimate while I'm waiting for the 1099-INTs to come in. It's crazy - we're not even itemizing, we've got 2 new schedules this year and it took me a couple of hours to go through the instructions and do the schedules to find out we qualify for the "standard" $1000 real estate tax deduction the $800 "pay to work" credit without adjustments. I thought our taxes were supposed to be getting simpler - I pity the people who are trying to figure out if/how much they qualify for all the new credits Obama put out last year. And I still have to figure our state tax (CT isn't a "piggyback" state)!

Is there such a service offered in the U.S.? Yes, many of them in virtually every city and town. Often college and university students assist with simple returns at free tax clinics. Also church groups, drop in centers, shelters, etc. enlist volunteers to donate their time and expertise. TV stations and newspapers run Public Service Ads advising people within certain income confines where to go for free help.

" She has somewhat limited accounting skills and told me this year that the paper that I gave her last year detailing how to arrange the payments was too small, to which I said that I had meant it as a guide as she set up her account book. " I'm afraid I LOL at this one! Not that I haven't misunderstood some equally commonsense things at times. Of course common sense often depends heavily on knowledge, so if the knowledge isn't there, neither is the sense.

Canadian banks, pretty solid, but recently having suffered share price reductions in sympathy with their U.S. counterparts, are paying 6 - 7% dividend rates. That have low probability of being reduced. But, in tandem with increases in share price, a greater possibility than their U.S.counterparts of being increased in the foreseeable future. For Canadians, those dividends come at a much lower tax rate than we pay on interest income ... and the tax rate on those dividends was cut even further, a couple of years ago. Another gift from Mr. Harper to his rich friends. At present the bank wants me to pay 5% interest (rate recently increased from 4.25%) on a fully secured loan and when I use the borrowed money to invest, the interest is deductible, meaning that the after-tax cost is about 3.75%. The 6% dividend is taxed at a low rate, leaving me with about 5% after-tax return ... so I have some money in pocket, on the current business. When I borrow $10,000. to invest, agreeing to pay interest only, and after a few years when I repay the loan ... I am required to repay exactly $10,000. Each of those dollars will buy less than when I borrowed it, so I gained from inflation. The guy/gal who put that dollar into the bank (or bought a CD, GIC or bond) lost money due to inflation (as the number of invested dollars doesn't grow, apart from the rent on the money). While quite a few U.S. banks are rather iffy, these days, Canadian banks are going to be around for a while. And I fully expect them to regain a substantial part of their recent losses, and that before long. Which I fully expect will give me some capital gain. That'll be taxed at one-half regular rate - and not payable till I choose to sell them. But if I'd sold the equity assets and bought GICs, money market funds, etc. a while ago ... they'd pay interest ... that'll be taxed as current income ... and taxed at top rate. I'd rather earn a higher rate of dividend, taxed at a lower rate than interest. And expecting to grow some capital gain, quite likely before too long ...that won't be taxed until I choose to sell them (or die) ... ...and then be taxed at half regular rate. Actually ... I just signed up for a "credit" card ... that'll charge me 1.97% for nine months on transferred debt. So I plan to use my original card to buy some stocks, then transfer the debt ... and make sure to pay the 1.97% annual rate of interest, monthly ... and be sure to pay the loan off in full just prior to nine months after the transfer. Plus - be sure not to charge anything on that card in the meantime (as not a cent can be paid on that later bill till the full amount of the transfer is paid off). A second agency are making a similar offer - and I get reduced cost on gas and groceries, with them. But - be careful not to buy any of that stuff on that card till the full amount of the transfer gets paid off, as well. My auto club is making a similar offer - so that's three such offers. And I've received an offer from the bank in which I've owned shares for 42 years ... at 2.9%. But that came in November ... and it's only good till July. In the meantime, I'm adding more collateral to my L o C, to add more security and be sure to pay off those credit card loans, if the stocks haven't gained enough that I'm willing to sell them for a profit when the low interest rate dies. There's a big difference between the possible credit card loans at low interest cost and the L o C loan, though - for there's a heavy deadline on the credit card debt, and if the new stocks bought haven't increased nicely within a few months ... ... or I can't access the L o C ... ... I'd be in a real bind! I don't like being beholden to outside agencies, subject to variations in their rules ... especially in volatile financial times as we are experiencing these days. I have a back-up - I can ask my broker for cheque, as long as it doesn't exceed the margin limits on my assets with them, at any time, and get it, immediately. So far, that is. Who knows about the future? I've played this game for years (though mostly for cash - not much borrowing) - and, even given the volatility of the markets and the uncertainty in the banking business these days, I think that I'm willing to put some chips on the line. And, if the markets are recovering half decently, I'll most likely try to avoid selling any of the newly acquired stocks. Some Canadian pipelines are solid and paying well, and some Canadian oil and gas stocks, whose prices have slid due to recent reduction in crude prices, have been paying over 10% ... some up to 15% and even 20% (but likely liable to reduction in future), and some are subject to change in corporate rules soon. Have a great weekend, everyone. ole joyful