It's time for our annual look at high-tech tax help. This year, we will do it in two parts. Today, tax software. Tomorrow, tax Web sites and some dos and don'ts.

If you decide that your tax situation is simple enough not to require an accountant, then getting a software package is a good idea.

There are more than 90 software packages dealing with various tax issues and problems, but two best ones - by a wide margin - are Tax Cut, which is made by H&R Block and Turbo Tax, which is made by Intuit, the makers of Quicken, the bestselling financial software.

Both these have similar features and provides easy-to-fill-in forms and guidelines. They even have people standing by to answer questions -- for an extra fee. Each comes in various permutations - Federal only, state only or both - you need to pick whichever one works best for you, read all the features described on the respective Web sites. The TaxCut prices are generally less, with prices ranging from $25 to $60, which TurboTax prices start at $30.

So collect your paperwork and try one of these out. But be sure to double check your computer's math!

Resources:
TaxCut: http://www.TaxCut.com
TurboTax.com: http://www.TurboTax.com

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