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.

Won't work for this year - a couple of unexpected payouts last year put my income up to where I had a substantially larger tax bill so was required to send a cheque somewhat over $3,000. with my tax return ... so it'll be back to paying by instalments again, next year. In 2007 I paid about 9% of income ... but the percentage will be higher in 2008. ole joyful

If you'd like to see the overhead transpaencies that Dale Ennis, editor of "Canadian MoneySaver" magazine used at that meeting, go to www.canadianmoneysaver.ca and look for "Tips and Tools". There's a lot of other interesting stuff on their website, as well - some of it of interest only to Canadians. Plain paper, no slick stuff - mostly writing; no ads. Pictures of the guys who write the two - three page articles, and contact info at the end of their articles. They are good about answering questions related to those articles, which are often rather condensed to fully cover a substantial issue, if rather sketchily, on occasion. The mag is totally subscriber driven, as they carry no ads. Subscribers asked for seminars with the guys who write the articles - they've been happening for several years. Seminars in winter in warm climes, on cruise, etc. Subscribers meet in about 40 locations in Canada. Ours in London has been meeting for over 10 years, I've been attending for six or so. Usually about 20 attend the monthly two-hour meeting and one learns a good deal about various approaches to money management there - we have to defend our viewpoints, as well. Plus about half of us adjourn to a coffee shop for another hour: manager brought us over a plate of goodies, a few months ago. Cost: gas to get there (and some from nearby communities ride together). (But the coffee at the after-meeting is costly, though they have "loyalty" cards (they're not the biggest chain in the country, by far - Starbucks ain't, either). We usually have the first guy to arrive get a card, then get it stamped for other members' purchases, so often we accumulate nearly the ten needed to get a free coffee during one evening's business. I think the corporation would say that one can only accumulate the increments on one's own accont - but management doesn't appear to care (haven't shut us down, yet, anyway). Sorry - I forgot that this isn't the "frugal" forum! Hope you're all enjoying a great week. One of the great things about retirement - every day's holiday. As I used to say when I was a personal financial advisor - "If you give me 10% of your money - I'll have you retire early". Actually, that message gives a false impression: my main philosophy was that I wanted my clients to learn how to manage their own money more effectively. ole joyful

The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency has the Volunteer Income Tax Preparation Program in which they train volunteers to prepare tax returns for low income taxpayers. They set up a number of clinics in vets hosp, libraries, mental health centres, churches, community centres, etc. where the volunteers prepare tax returns at advertised times. Then they put up posters to inform the citizenry of the availablility, locations and times of the service. Individual taxpayers whose income is under $20,000. qualify for the service, as do couples with incomes under $25,000. The volunteers may also prepare tax returns for individuals, often in their own homes. To find out where this service may be offered in or near your community, call the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (formerly Revenue Canada). Phone numbers are in the tax package which you received early in the year, or in the"Taxes" section of the Blue Pages in your telephone book. It might be a good idea, when the preparation of your tax return is complete, to ask the Volunteer what ways might be available to you in order to reduce your tax load for future years. Having been a personal financial planner (selling no financial products) for nearly 20 years and a retirement consultant, I've asked some local tax preparers how many of their clients ask them how they might be able to rearrange their affairs in order to reduce their tax load. I've been surprised to hear that only rarely does this happen. Seems to me if I felt the need to have a person much more knowledgeable in the income tax system than I prepare my tax, I'd want to find out some possible ways that a I might be able to reduce them. Good wishes for finding some effective ways of reducing your income tax load (legally, of course). Tax evasion gets you into serious trouble: tax avoidance should be practised by every taxpayer. joyful guy/Ed