Konradsen Clancy

Our negative attitude toward the IRS can cause a powerful need to just ignore it entirely. But

self-employed people that ignore the IRS do so at their own risk.

When it comes to providing free details about fees, let's not place the baby out with the bath water. The IRS does give some excellent resources t...

We all like to criticize the IRS, don't we? It's easy to ridicule a massive organization of government bureaucrats who often appear to be Public Enemy #1.

Our negative attitude toward the IRS can result in a strong want to just ignore it entirely. But

self-employed people that ignore the IRS do this at their own peril.

When it comes to providing free information regarding fees, let's maybe not throw the baby out with the bath water. The IRS does offer some exemplary resources to help us make the best of a potentially bad situation.

If you need tax assistance and prefer not to pay for it, do not ignore these five ways to get help in the IRS:

1. The Web

http://www.irs.gov

There's a wealth of information simply for small enterprises and self-employed people at: http://www.irs.gov/smallbiz

Here you will find from how-to get yourself a federal business tax ID to some free 6-session streaming video presentation of the 'IRS Small Business Workshop.' Also referred to as the Small-business Self-Employed Online Classroom, it is possible to access this right at: www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=97726,00.html

If you choose to attend an IRS small business workshop personally, always check here to see what is available in your state: www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99202,00.html

Need tax kinds and/or their directions?

Look no further than the IRS website:

http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html

Here you will find a boatload of links to every tax form imaginable, available as downloadable PDF files or in fill-in structure. All form directions may also be downloaded. http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/lists/0,,id=97817,00.html

The IRS has many free publications that describe virtually every major (and many minor) tax issues in great detail. Sure, IRS 'bars' aren't always written in one of the most entertaining style, but, hi, remember the cost. I discovered next by browsing the Denver Star. http://www.irs.gov/formsp