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You may have to part with your money to pay federal and state income taxes, but you may not need to part with more of it to prepare your taxes. There are a number of online sites, free software downloads, and other resources to help you with your taxes for free.

Believe it or not, the IRS is now making it easier to find free tax help. They have partnered with a large number of companies that offer some sort of free tax preparation and/or filing. The IRS offers a convenient page of links to these sites.

There is one warning you should heed whenever you prepare your own taxes, whether the service is free or you pay for it. You should determine if your tax situation is simple enough that you will not be likely to miss valuable deductions to which you are entitled. It will do you no good to get your taxes done for free and then overpay your taxes. If you are not sure, you might want to talk to a tax accountant first.

You will also find a link to the AARP program Tax-Aide, which uses local volunteers to help those of low to middle income, those with disabilities or a language barrier, prepare their taxes. This service is available to all ages, but they do have a special emphasis on those over 60.

Whether or not you can take advantage of these free services, you may know others who would also benefit from some free tax help. You can use the "email this page" link below to clue them in.