By Stephen Albaugh

Every year Americans take part in a tradition that very few enjoy. Between the months of January and April, people in the United States have to file a personal income tax return. Although filing a tax return is probably not your favorite hobby, the process doesn’t need to consume your everyday life. Here are some suggestions to alleviate the pain and help you form habits that will keep your taxes from sneaking up on you.

You may love the beach, but swimming in a sea of receipts and documents is no vacation. Each year at tax time, Americans spend hours looking for records of mortgage interest, retirement contributions, donations, and other deductions. Investing in a financial management program like Microsoft Money Plus can eliminate the paper chase, allowing you to sort out important tax information from day-to-day expenses, make educated tax investments, and minimize capital gains taxes.

For example, if you need to know what you can expect to owe this year, the Tax Estimator in Money Plus can tell you. The software automatically walks you through some simple questions about your income, expenses, and relevant deductions, and then forms an estimate.

Also consider using the Capital Gains Estimator in Money Plus to see how different investment sales may affect your tax liability. On the Plan sales of investments page, you can enter proposed sales of stocks and experiment with sales that result in gains or losses, and see the results of proposed sales. Using these features will help you avoid confusion about what is deductible, fear of not being able to find documentation, and overall exhaustion.

If you don’t want to do your own taxes, there are several options for knocking off this task, even if you aren’t a CPA.

The first option is to find a reputable accountant to prepare you taxes. Taking this route will cost you a few hundred dollars, but you can rest assured your taxes will be prepared correctly and filed on time.

If you can't afford the price tag of a CPA, consider hiring a licensed Tax Consultant to handle the burden of tax filing. These practitioners may not be certified accountants, but they do have expertise in preparing taxes and charge considerably less than CPAs.

Another option is significantly less expensive, but you will have to get your hands a little dirty. Tax preparation software, like Intuit's TurboTax and TaxCut from H&R block, simplifies the filing process, allowing anyone to feel like a CPA. Using personal finance management software like Microsoft Money throughout the year will make it easier to sort through your records and receipts once it's time to file.

For those with an adjusted gross income under $50,000 annually, you may be eligible for the Free File program, which includes online tax preparation and electronic filing through the IRS Web site. Visit Free File to see if you qualify and get started.

If you consider yourself an accountant at heart, you can always pick up tax forms at your local IRS office or download the tax forms.

Tax laws change every year, but the government doesn’t expect you to know everything. Using the IRS Web site, you will find updated tax tips and law changes that may affect your return. Who knows, you may be missing out on a new deduction you were previously unaware of. You can also contact the IRS help line at 1-800-829-1040. They may not be able to answer all your questions, but it will be comforting to have someone go through the process with you.

There's a sea of knowledge available on the Internet including a surprising amount of very helpful information about personal finances. If you take the time to research your options you can find a number of opportunities that can save you money on your next tax return and help you plan for the future.

For example, consider visiting MSN Money to learn about contributing to funds like IRAs, ESPs and QTPs, which may be tax deductible. If you decide to invest, MorningStar.com has research tools to narrow down some possible investment opportunities, evaluate different amounts of risk or begin a portfolio.

Many college savings plans are available online at brokerage sites, such as Fidelity.com, and can be set up from the comfort of your own home. Learn more about ways to save for education.

Most likely, taxes will not be the highlight of your new year, but ultimately, we have no choice but to prepare them. Drawing on these tips and utilizing tax organization software may not take the sting out of filing, but it can help you understand how to deal with tax preparation and create habits throughout the year that will lead to less frustration, confusion, and procrastination in the future.