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It's kind of appalling what you don't know about filing your own tax return.

The Internal Revenue Service started the nation's tax season when it began accepting electronic tax returns at the end of January. More than 153 million individual tax returns expected to be filed in 2017. The first refunds claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) start arriving this week.

"For this tax season, it's more important than ever for taxpayers to plan ahead," says IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "People should make sure they have their year-end tax statements in hand, and we encourage people to file as they normally would, including those claiming the credits affected by the refund delay. Even with these significant changes, IRS employees and the entire tax community will be working hard to make this a smooth filing season for taxpayers."

Granted, the IRS makes it a bit difficult for taxpayers to keep things straight by tweaking the process each year. This year, it's going to be particularly tough for folks who don't save their prior-year tax returns. If you're changing tax filing software or tax preparers this year, you're going to need the adjusted gross income from your 2015 tax return in order to file electronically -- as the Electronic Filing Pin is has been eliminated to prevent filing fraud.

Some changes, however, have more immediate benefits. This year, you don't have to file your federal tax return until April 18 this year, thanks to April 15 landing on a Saturday and Washington, D.C.'s Emancipation Day celebration taking place on Monday, April 18. That gives you some time to work out a plan of attack, if you haven't already, and find some places to cut into this year's tax return.

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Your Ignorance of IRS Rules and Free Tax Software Is Costly - TheStreet.com

Q:We bought a new Lenovo laptop with Windows 10 but NO Word program. Is there a FREE similar Word program for download? ~ Dee Borries, Lakewood

Tech+ Microsoft has long charged for Word (and Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) as part of its Office software line. But sometimes new PCs come with the software as a bonus so you may not remember paying for it.

Today, the suite is called Office 365 and starts at $6.99 a month. Theres also a downloadable home/student version for a one-time charge of $149.99. Teachers and students can get Office 365 Education for free by signing up at dpo.st/studentoffice.

Afew years ago, Microsoft put Word and other tools in the cloud and began offering light-weight online versions for free as a response to Google Docs, which is also online and also free. Differences are noted on this official Office page, atdpo.st/officediff.

If youre not a heavy-duty Word user in need of super formats and you dont mind working in an internet browser, there are several software services similar to Word that are available online. Some links:

And now for the Tech+ newsletter update: Were still taking sign ups while my colleagues get the design and distribution ready. Sign up for the (future) weekly e-mail if you want to get this Q&A delivered to your inbox, plus anything else I think readers might find interesting: dpo.st/mailbag

See past Tech+ answers or ask your own tech question at dpo.st/mailbag. If youre e-mailing your question, please add Mailbag to the subject line.

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Microsoft Office isn't free but there are free alternatives, including one from Microsoft - The Denver Post

The average cost of hiring an accountant to do your taxes is $273, while a national tax preparation company such as H&R Block will set you back $154 on average. You can cut your tax-preparation expense dramatically by using commercial software to do your own taxes, which costs about $69 for the average tax return.

However, if you made less than $64,000 in 2016, there's an IRS program that could allow you to use top-selling tax-prep software absolutely free.

According to a survey by personal finance website NerdWallet, more than one-third of U.S. taxpayers who make less than $50,000 per year hire a tax professional or a national tax prep company.

IRS Free File can help you maximize your tax refund. Image Source: Getty Images.

However, thanks to the IRS Free File program, these people may qualify to do their taxes absolutely free with well-known software like TurboTax and TaxAct.

If your adjusted gross income (AGI) for 2016 was $64,000 or less, you qualify for the IRS's Free File program. Depending on your income, age, state of residence, and tax situation, you'll have at least one free software option you can use, and probably more. According to the IRS, this includes 70% of all taxpayers -- meaning that 100 million people are eligible to do their taxes for free.

As of this writing, there are a dozen software programs listed on the IRS Free File website, although not all of these are available to all taxpayers who meet the sub-$64,000 income requirement. Each individual program has its own requirements to qualify for a free return. Some will also allow you to file your state return for free, while there is a fee involved with others.

Here's a quick guide to the software programs that participate in Free File, and the requirement of each. Or, you can input your information and see all of your options with this IRS tool.

Program

Income Requirement (AGI)

Other Requirements

1040.com Free File Edition

$58,000 or less or eligible for EITC

Age 52 or younger

Free1040TaxReturn.com

$64,000 or less

Age 70 or younger

Not a resident of FL, NV, TN, TX, or WA

TaxSlayer

$63,000 or less

Age 52 or younger

TurboTax All Free

$33,000 or less or eligible for EITC

None

eSmart Free File Edition

$64,000 or less

Ages 18 to 54

FileYourTaxes.com

AGI between $9,000 and $64,000

Ages 15 to 65

H&R Block Free File

$64,000 or less or eligible for EITC

Ages 17 to 50

FreeTaxUSA IRS Free File Edition

$51,000 or less

Ages 17 to 60

ezTaxReturn.com

$64,000 or less

Must reside in: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, VA, or WI

TaxAct Free File

$52,000 or less or eligible for EITC

Age 56 or younger (all ages if eligible for EITC)

Online Taxes at OLT.com

AGI between $13,000 and $64,000

None

1040NOW.NET

$64,000 or less

Must reside in: AL, AR, AZ, CA, GA, IA, ID, IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NY, OK, OR, RI, SC, VA, VT, or WV

Or age 60 or younger and a resident of: CO, CT, DE, HI, IL, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MT, NE, NJ, NM, OH, PA, UT, or WI

Data Source: IRS.

Before you get started, be sure to gather the following information:

It may seem silly to pay for tax preparation if you don't have to, but that's exactly what millions of Americans do.

Check out the IRS Free File program if you make less than $64,000. You may be surprised at how easy some of these software programs make doing your own taxes, and it could put extra money in your pocket when your refund arrives.

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Do Your Taxes for Free In 2017 -- Here's How - Motley Fool

OhioMeansJobs in Williams County is set to unveil a new, free program aimed at helping employers find the right candidates for hirings and promotions at a free event set for Tuesday.

The program will be revealed at the Williams County Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO) roundtable discussion which will center on ProveIt!, an assessment testing program.

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Ohio Means Jobs to demonstrate free employee assessment software - The Bryan Times (subscription)

Erin Toney

Contributing Writer

Everybody has been there, staring in confusion at a Microsoft Word document after typing their name, phone number and email address, said Cherish Gehret, Career Services career counselor. What now? What else goes on the resume? What categories should be included? What is relevant and irrelevant?

As Gehret puts it, building a resume can be tough, especially for students who have not had to build one before. Students may search for resume templates and come up blank with ideas. They may wonder why their resume is not as extensive as the ones found in a search and become discouraged.

Career Services offers help not only reviewing resumes but also creating them. While online resume submission is allowed, it is encouraged to schedule an appointment.

Face-to-face appointments tend to be more detailed and gives the student an opportunity to ask more questions and gain more information, said Gehret.

Career Services uses Optimal Resume, which is free to all students, that has templates pre-loaded that are more relevant.

This free software offers multiple cover letter and resume templates that students can just plug their information into and then download to a Microsoft Word documents, said Gehret. It is very easy to access and utilize. There is no need for students to recreate the wheel by creating their own templates when Career Services already has them for you.

Gehret said that while there are some rules and recommendations, there is no template or format that is the absolute statute.

Some applications require a cover letter along with a resume. Career Services also assists students in building a cover letter.

After having their resume and cover letter reviewed, students should then consider a mock interview to help them ease their nerves before a job interview.

By nature, interviews tend to be somewhat uncomfortable experiences for most individuals, said Gehret. Most human beings get nervous before an interviews, sometimes to the point of yucky sweatiness, noticeable shaking and even sickness.

Mock interviews help students go into an interview prepared and confident.

Mock interviews should be treated like an actual interview, meaning the students should show up prepared, wear proper attire and arrive early.

Preparation is key, and mock interviews are a huge part of that, said Gehret.

Mock interviews are not just professional mock interviews; they can also be an academic mock interview.

One of the best pieces of advice I can give to students regarding both resume and interview prep is clich but true: be honest, be confident and be yourself, said Gehret.

To get more tips and pointers on resumes, cover letters and interview preparation, visit Career Services Resumes & Interviews, or call 918-444-3110.

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Career Services utilizes free software to aid in creating and updating resumes - The Northeastern