taxes

So, you think you’re ready to file your taxes, huh? Well, not so fast.

Tax season isn’t fun for anyone. While filing your taxes means digging through shoeboxes of receipts, guessing at what number goes on which line and and pounding your head against real or imaginary walls, it can be even worse. Luckily there are a few great apps that can help ease the frustration of tax time. This year, let your phone save you some irritation — and maybe even some money.

If you’re one of those impatient people who gets a refund anticipation loan (RAL) from a tax preparer, enjoy it while it lasts — after this year, those loans are going away. And it’s probably for your own good.

If you filed your taxes electronically, you may be wondering where your refund is. And, if you visited the IRS website’s “Where’s my refund?” page, you may have been given an error message that says the IRS has no information about your return.

Tax day is right around the corner — but that doesn’t mean we’ll all pay our fair share. An IRS survey last year found the percentage of people who thought it was acceptable to cheat “as much as possible” on their returns doubled compared to 2010.

‘Jersey Shore’ doesn’t just rot brains — it drains tax coffers, too. MTV’s hit reality show, which depicts the exploits of a group of raisin-tanned 20-somethings as they live and party along the New Jersey coastline, has just had $420,000 of its 2009 production costs covered by the state’s Economic Development Authority.