With the tax date looming on the horizon, it is a good idea to start collecting your tax documents and make sure you have all the things needed to make the tax prep process as painless as possible. As the U.S. government racks up the largest deficits in our nation’s history, you better believe that they will be looking closely at our tax returns to make sure they get every dollar in taxes they can grab.

I recently ran across an AOL blogger who has some very timely posts and ideas. She is a tax attorney who calls herself “taxgirl” and writes for a blog called WalletPop. Two of her articles that recently caught my eye were “Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Tax Audit” and “10 Tax Tips for Seniors.” Check out taxgirl’s recent blog posts at the links below:

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/01/28/top-10-ways-to-avoid-a-tax-audit/

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/02/04/10-tax-tips-for-seniors/

Know the tax rules and know your situation, so that you can take advantage of all the things to which you are entitled. Working with a trusted CPA can also help.