Need help with preparing your taxes but can’t afford to pay a tax professional? Well tomorrow is your lucky day. Saturday, March 21, 2009 is Super Saturday which means that IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers (IRS TAC) and community free tax help sites across Oklahoma will open their doors to assist people with tax related issues.

People who earn $42,000 or less are eligible for free tax return preparation at either the IRS TACs or the community partner sites.

People who want their tax returns prepared should bring the following information:

• Valid driver’s license or photo identification (self & spouse, if applicable)
• Social Security cards for all persons listed on the return
• Dates of birth for all persons listed on the return
• All income statements: Forms W-2, 1099, Social Security, Unemployment, or other benefits statements, self-employment records and any documents showing taxes withheld
• Dependent child care information: payee’s name, address and Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number
• Proof of account at financial institution for direct debit or deposit (i.e. cancelled/voided check or bank statement)
• Prior year tax return (if available)
• Any other pertinent documents or papers

Super Saturday also is an opportunity for people, regardless of income, who may have a tax issue or who may be unable to pay their tax bill to visit an IRS TAC. The IRS can work with people to set up payment option plans that will prevent even greater penalties and interest.

Admitting that she’s risking her “good girl reputation,” Jane Bryant Quinn, one of the country’s most-trusted conservative voices in consumer financial journalism, is telling debtors in financial distress to throw in the towel in 2009 and declare bankruptcy. Quinn gave this unexpected advice in her regularly featured column titled The Case for Walking Away in the Jan. 12, 2009 issue of Newsweek.

Quinn has long been the last word in mainstream money talk. She’s been a contributor to Newsweek since 1978, writes a regular column for Good Housekeeping magazine and is the author of bestselling books such as her Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People.

Among the advice she shares:

“It’s a mistake to tap your retirement accounts to make minimum payments on monstrous bills. IRAs and 401(k)s are largely protected in bankruptcy, as is most of your child’s 529 college-savings account. This money is your future. Leave it alone and use credit cards for your necessities. Card issuers know that some of their customers will fail. That’s why they charge elephant fees.”

“Don’t try to preserve your house if you’re going broke. Stop making payments, stay there while foreclosure is underway, then move out and rent.”

Ms. Quinn discusses the humiliation often associated with filing for bankruptcy and points out that that the purpose of getting a “fresh start” is to stop self-blame and helplessness and give yourself a second chance.

Most people contemplating filing bankruptcy have exhausted all other legitimate options and are figuratively at the end of their rope. But filing for bankruptcy isn’t the end of the world – it’s a new beginning, and in this era of financial crisis, rising unemployment and decreasing house values, it may be the best option for you.

Filing for bankruptcy can give you the fresh start you need and can help you reestablish a healthy credit score sooner rather than later.  When conservative financial advisers such as Jane Bryant Quinn recommend that consumers consider bankruptcy, it’s time to recognize that filing for bankruptcy has become an acceptable and reasonable way to deal with a personal financial crisis.