A recent online poll of TurboTax customers shows that while awareness of the expiring tax cuts is high, understanding the true impact of these changes is low. About 65 percent of those surveyed say they don’t know how these changes could impact their 2010 taxes.

The majority of those responding (70 percent) say they are not making any changes to their year-end tax planning as a result of these pending changes. More than half (58 percent) said they are most concerned about the expiring Bush tax cuts, with 14 percent expressing most concern about the Alternative Minimum Tax, or AMT.

AMT, Tax Cuts Set to Expire

House and Senate tax writing committees have pledged to “do everything possible” to adjust the existing AMT laws so that no additional taxpayers are affected. However, tax bills will rise for an estimated 25 million Americans if Congress fails to act, a dramatic increase over the 4 million taxpayers today facing the AMT.

The fate of several tax credits associated with AMT are also in question, including the child and dependent care credit and the earned income tax credit for low and middle-income workers.

Additionally, tax cuts from 2001 are set to expire at the end of this year. Without Congressional action, personal income tax rates will go up across all income brackets. Taxpayers earning dividends, such as retirees, will see the tax rate on dividends increase and the marriage penalty will once again raise the tax rate on families.

However, if all the current expiring cuts are extended by Congress, the cost will add $3.7 trillion to the national deficit over 10 years according to the Treasury Department.

Automatically Updated

TurboTax is already prepared to handle multiple scenarios. When Congress does act, TurboTax Online will be automatically updated to reflect the most current tax laws. TurboTax desktop software customers can use the easy, One Click Update to get the most up-to-date tax forms before they file.

The bill would allow taxpayers who make cash donations for Chilean earthquake victims to claim an itemized charitable deduction on their 2009 tax return instead of having to wait until next year to claim the deductions on their 2010 tax return. This applies to cash contributions made after Feb. 26, 2010 through Apr. 15, 2010.

The bill would also relieve recordkeeping requirements for Chilean relief contributions. For these contributions, a telephone bill will meet IRS requirements as long as it shows the name of the organization and the date and amount of the contribution.

In addition, the bill would extend the current law for cash donations to Haitian earthquake relief efforts. Today, taxpayers can claim cash contributions made to Haiti relief on their 2009 return if the donation was made between Jan. 11, 2010 and Mar. 1, 2010. Under the new bill, the end date is extended to April 15, 2010. Contributions made after that time can be claimed on 2010 tax returns.

The bill will be sent to the Senate for consideration.

And you can bet that if Uncle Sam does come calling (is Uncle Sam single? I don’t know) he’s not riding in on a white horse dressed in shining armor. Odds are, he’ll be dressed in a stiff suit banging on a computer while you hold your breath wondering if you fabulous new black boots could be considered a business deduction.

I have to cop to the fact that I’m married, but I’m here to stand up for the singles’ crew and offer some tax saving tips you should be taking advantage of if you’re not already.

Your House: If you own it, your swinging bachelor (or bachelorette) pad is tax deductible. Singles can deduct mortgage interest and property taxes just like your annoying married friends. Home ownership is great for your tax bill (and for your love life IMO) – it can slash your tax burden significantly because every penny you spend on paying interest on your mortgage can be deducted.

Your Retirement: I know, I know. You’re too hip and single to be worried about being 65. Wake up, people! Time to start saving for retirement so you can reap the tax benefits. Your 401K contributions reduce your taxes owed and can help get you a bigger refund. You can even sock away money in a qualified IRA up until April 15 if your employer doesn’t offer a 401K plan.

Your paycheck: It’s like giving yourself a raise. The odds are pretty good that you’re having too much tax taken out of your paycheck every payday. The evidence is clear if you have a big refund coming. Almost 80 percent of taxpayers get a refund. In 2009, the average refund topped $2,700. Filing a new W-4 form with your employer (your HR department will have it) will insure that you get more of your money when you earn it.

Your education: Investing in you is always a smart idea (and only makes you more attractive to the opposite sex). If you’re paying your own tuition for a graduate course or other training, you may qualify for a Lifetime Learning Credit that’s worth 20% of up to $10,000 of qualifying expenses.

Your job hunt: It’s tough out there and finding a new job in today’s economy is no easy thing. But as long as you’re looking for a new gig in the same line of work, you can deduct job-hunting costs (resumes, recruiter, even phone bills), including travel expenses such as the cost of food, lodging and transportation, if you have to head out of town.

Your move: Congrats! Your job hunt (see above) was a success. Now you can cash in on your moving expenses. If the new job is at least 50 miles farther from your old home than your old job was, you can deduct the cost of the move, even if you don’t itemize expenses. If it’s your first job, the mileage test is met if the new job is at least 50 miles away from your old home.

Your good deeds: So what if you couldn’t get a date on Saturday night. Go out and help someone less fortunate than you and you’ll be able to deduct expenses related to your charitable work such as mileage to deliver meals to the elderly, expenses related to being a scout leader or going to a charitable organization’s regional meeting as their representative.

Your (gulp!) marriage: Say it isn’t so! If you’re giving up the single life and getting hitched, before the wedding, get together with your soon-to-be ball and chain and both your W-4 forms and figure how to arrange withholding from your paychecks to match your new tax status.

So…a little advice from this married tax blogger. Single is fabulous! Enjoy every minute of it, no matter how long it lasts. And please don’t complain about married people getting a better deal on their taxes. Believe me, we have to have something to get excited about.

On Feb. 8, residents of Hawaii were notified that all state tax refunds will be delayed until July 1, 2010. Guess not everything is perfect in paradise!

Hawaii made the call in an effort to mitigate the State’s projected $721 million revenue shortfall for this fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2010. Apparently, delaying the refunds will provide an estimated one-time savings of $275 million which will go toward balancing the state budget.

Hawaii will release taxpayers’ refunds beginning in July on a first-in-first-out basis. This ensures that early filers will receive their refunds first. So there’s no need to wait if you are getting a refund.

Hawaii is also advising taxpayers that the best way to get their tax refund is to e-file it and have it directly deposited into their bank account.

If you’re using TurboTax to prepare and file your Hawaii state tax return, you will see notice of this delay in the Print and File section. E-file confirmation emails from TurboTax will also remind customers impacted by this delay that their state refund will not be available until after July 1.

Beginning July 2010, taxpayers can contact the Hawaii State Taxpayer Services Call Center at 808-587-4242 or 1-800-222-3229 (toll free) for information on the status of their refunds.

This year, Intuit will sponsor and participate in more than a dozen additional tax assistance events in communities including Harlem, NY, Tucson, AZ, Louisville, KY, Atlanta, GA and Fresno and Los Angeles, CA.

At these events, eligible taxpayers can prepare and electronically file their taxes using TurboTax Tax Freedom Edition. Qualifying taxpayers are those who:

• Qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

• Are on active duty military with an adjusted gross income of $57,000 or less

• Have an AGI of $31,000 or less

The effort is part of Intuit’s continuing commitment to serving eligible taxpayers and making it easy for them to access and use TurboTax so they can claim every deduction and credit they deserve.

Volunteers are on hand at each event to help taxpayers use TurboTax and to answer questions, in both English and Spanish. The program assists people in learning more about how their finances work and empowers them to take charge of their own taxes.

Here is the full schedule of upcoming tax assistance programs:

But if you’re like me, wading through pages of reviews can be information overload. Wouldn’t it be great if you could see what your friend has to say about a book you want to read or find out if someone a lot like you (in my case, full-time job, 2 kids) can actually cook that recipe in 30 minutes?

Well, TurboTax has created a new way for people thinking about using tax software to see exactly what millions of other people have to say about their own TurboTax experience. Unedited, unfiltered truth from your friends and people whose taxes are probably a lot like yours’.

Today, TurboTax unveiled Friends Like You, a new, one-of-a-kind social experience that lets anyone view product reviews from their friends or people who have similar tax situations.

Friends Like You draws on social networks, such as Facebook or MySpace, to let you see and sort reviews from friends or from people like you. Friends Like You is centered around the Friendlyzer, a unique online recommendation engine. Whether you’ve bought a home, switched jobs or had a baby, you can use the Friendlyzer to check out reviews from others who’ve used TurboTax so you can see what they have to say and how it handles a particular tax situation.

Having the option to see, sort and filter recommendations and reviews makes shopping for anything that much easier. TurboTax is taking personal recommendations a step further by using some cool social tools to make it easy for people to talk and share. Friends Like You simplifies the process of sorting through reviews to find only those that are personal, relevant and from people you know and trust who also use TurboTax.

To find out what people like you think about TurboTax visit www.friendslikeyou.com, and let us know what you think by commenting below.

But between now and then, there are some special days that I think deserve a shout out. These days get the shaft, passed over in favor of the ‘big’ days.

We just passed “Make Your Dreams Come True Day” (Jan. 13) and one of my personal favorites, “National Nothing Day” (Jan. 16). I hope none of you did anything!

But never fear, not only do we have some oldies but goodies – Valentine’s Day, St. Patty’s Day and April Fools’ Day – coming up, we’ve got some other gems as well:

January

21           National Hugging Day

25           Opposite Day

29           National Puzzle Day

February

8             Fly a Kite Day

20           Love Your Pet Day

22           Be Humble Day

March

1              Share a Smile Day

9             Employee Appreciation Day

22           National Goof Off Day (seriously!)

April

7              No Housework Day (because you’ll be doing your taxes)

14           International Moment of Laughter Day (because you’ll be so thrilled you finished your taxes)

15           Tax Day

27           Tell a Story Day (which is exactly what you’ll be doing to the IRS if you don’t file your taxes on time)

Are these all the exciting days between now and April 15? Nope, not even close. I certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone who celebrates Umbrella Day (Feb. 10) or International Waffle Day (Mar. 25). I only want to shine a little light on some of these humble days that seem like they should have really taken off, but didn’t. I mean, have you ever seen a card for National Goof Off Day? I think that’s a shame.

But we can do something about it! We can help make every crazy, random holiday feel extra special. So, let me know what other days I missed and which one is your favorite in comments. The twentieth person who leaves a comment gets free TurboTax this year.

Because I think every day should feel as wonderful as Donut Day (Jun 1) or Lazy Day (Aug. 10). Both of which should be national holidays if you ask me.

Unfortunately, recent media coverage about California Ready Return might lead you to think otherwise. I wanted to share our position with you to give you a more complete picture of what we’ve done and what we plan to do.

Twenty companies, including Intuit, partner with the IRS and 20 states to provide free tax preparation and e-filing to lower-income taxpayers. The Free File Alliance, a successful, philanthropic public-private partnership, makes these services available for free to more than 70 percent of all Americans (that’s 98 million people).

We strongly support Free File as a better alternative for California and its taxpayers. Unlike the government-run Ready Return, Free File costs the state and taxpayers absolutely nothing.

The state of California faces a significant budget crisis, cutting funding to schools and other critical programs. With scarce dollars, we must look for real solutions, like the Free File program, that do not create new burdens for the state.

We can accomplish this in California by establishing a state Free File Program modeled on the federal version.  This approach will help provide free online tax return preparation and e-filing to anyone earning $57,000 a year or less.  It also means that state taxpayers would receive free tax preparation and e-filing for both their state and federal returns, as 20 other states already do. The state government-run programs, Ready Return and CalFile cannot do the same.

By including the federal tax return, the Free File Program outperforms the Ready Return and CalFile in another important respect. It helps California’s lower-income taxpayers claim refundable Federal tax credits, in particular the Earned Income Tax Credit – a federal credit for low-income families.   That means a lot of money to a lot of people.

The California Controller’s office says more than $1 billion of this money goes unclaimed by state taxpayers. Adopting California Free File could significantly close that gap for Californians, and at no cost to either the state budget or its taxpayers.

There are those who want government to prepare and send tax bills to everyone, something called a Return Free tax system.  That’s based on an assumption that many taxpayers — especially those without a higher education who may not speak English well – may be more likely to just pay a government tax bill.

The Free File Alliance has been a model for states.

However, others see real value in an individual’s participation in the current income tax system, where compliance is voluntary and we are managing our personal and family finances. They see a conflict of interest when the government prepares, collects and enforces tax policy.

Everyone agrees that the current system must be simplified so that it’s easier for you and I to do our taxes. We can do that by making the information that the government already receives, such as W-2 wages and 1099 financial earnings, available for automatic downloading into privately prepared returns.  TurboTax already does that, saving you time and increasing accuracy.

Taxpayers will clearly benefit if federal and state income tax agencies make tax-related data, like prior year tax returns, electronically accessible to be downloaded into tax returns – just like some tax software already does for W-2 and 1099 earnings info.

Making government data electronically available to download into returns would go a long way to making tax preparation easier for all of us. However, this innovative tax reform has not yet been formally proposed either by the California State government or by the IRS.

We’ll continue to support free tax preparation and filing for those who need it most at both the federal and state level. Not everyone will agree with our position. What we hope – and I believe should expect – is a balanced, thoughtful discussion that represents all points of view.

The teenage years are filled with fun and responsibility. It’s about first dates, the first time behind the wheel, and first jobs. However, all of these “firsts” are accompanied by one thing–money. That is why it is important for teens to learn how to save money, use credit wisely, and pay dues to Uncle Sam.

Teaching your teenager about money is just smart parenting. Introducing them to easy tools they can use to independently manage their money is great for them and for parents who want to empower their kids and prepare them to be good money managers later in life.

So, if you’re still preparing your child’s tax return, it may be time to cut the cord, so to speak, and teach junior how to do his own taxes. But where to start? Open a dialogue. The first important step to educate teenagers on how to prepare and file their taxes is to talk about money and taxes well before they’re ready to file. Strangely enough, as parents communicating with our children, money is often the last taboo. We might talk to our kids about sex, but somehow we fail to talk about money and taxes.

If your teen receives W-2s, 1099s, or other statements of income from a summer job or a savings account, he or she might have to file. Even if filing is not required, it usually is a good idea to do so if wages have been withheld because your teen may be due a tax refund.

Your teen needs to know that after landing a job, she will be required to fill out a W-4 form at work. Help her understand that taxes are taken out of each paycheck throughout the year and that at the end of the year, she’ll receive a W-2 form that tallies all of the wages, including tips she earned.

When you sit down and prepare your child’s taxes, involve them in the entire process. The earlier you introduce the concepts, the better prepared your kids will be when they hit the working world and have to handle tax planning and preparation on their own.

One of the great things is that today, using a computer to do taxes will be right up your teen’s alley. Tax software like TurboTax will guide them through their return and ask simple questions without the tax jargon. It will also help them find and understand deductions. Although their income may be low and itemized deductions not an issue, explaining to them ways they can save on taxes will help them later in life and allow them to prepare their returns as a more informed adult.

Finally, put a stake in the ground and mark your year of transition. Don’t practice the “sink or swim” approach when it comes to educating your teen on tax preparation. Mark a year of transition to get your child ready, let them know they will be responsible for next year’s return. This allows them time to learn valuable tax information while building their confidence that they can do it themselves.

So, if you are ready to start your post-holiday diet, here’s what you need to know (besides the fact that inhaling a 2-pound box of See’s Candy may not be the smartest strategy!)

What can you deduct on your taxes if you itemize?

• The initial fees to join a weight loss program
• Additional fees to attend regular meetings (such as Weight Watchers) where people develop diet plans, receive menus and info and discuss the challenges of losing weight.
• Bariatric surgery
• FDA approved weight-loss drugs
• Physician and hospital-based weight loss programs
• Behavioral counseling
• Dietitians and nutritionists

What can’t you deduct?

• Health club dues
• Cost of home exercise equipment
• Cost of diet foods, such as pre-packaged meals from Jenny Craig or NutriSystem
• The cost of enrollment in a weight loss program to improve appearance, general health or sense of well-being, rather than to treat a specific medical problem associated with being overweight
• Non-prescription weight loss products
• Nutritional Supplements
• Any costs that are covered by insurance

If you’re planning on deducting your weight loss program, keep receipts and your doctor’s order as back-up documentation for your taxes. You’ll want to make sure that your paperwork states your physician’s name and reason for treatment.

Ultimately, losing weight isn’t about getting a tax deduction, it’s about getting healthy and feeling great. But if knowing that you’ll get money back in your pocket at tax time is extra motivation to get healthy, all the better. Here’s to your fit bod and to a bigger refund.

And let’s face it. It’s been a tough year and there are a lot of people out there who could use some help. So instead of giving conventional gifts this holiday season, I’ve decided to give the gift of donations to charitable causes. And here’s why I think you should, too.

You can donate a gift to charity – make a charitable contribution in honor of someone you love for a cause they feel passionate about and you get the tax deduction. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving. Your best friend may be passionate about children’s literacy, or animal rights.  You can give a contribution in her name to an organization that supports that issue and she gets a gift she’ll adore (and be relieved you didn’t send fruit cake), the charity you choose will help make the world a better place, and you get a tax break.  Everybody wins.

If you don’t want to choose the charity yourself, you can you can give a gift certificate so your dad or co-worker can choose what charity to donate to. Check out www.justgive.org where you can purchase a gift certificate for any amount. And yes, you’re still the one who gets the tax deduction.

For me, this is a really great option because it means I don’t have to fight the crowds at the mall. And apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks so. A recent Forrester Technographics survey shows that online giving to non-profits will rise substantially this year. The survey estimates that more than 111 million Americans will give through Web sites, a huge increase from the 89 million who did online giving last year.

If you choose to make a cash donation as a gift in someone’s name and you want to deduct it on your tax return, you will need a canceled check, bank record or a receipt with the charity’s name and donation amount. I always recommend using checks or a credit card for just this reason. When it comes to taxes, documentation counts!

Maybe I still haven’t convinced you that ending the traditional a Rudolph the Reindeer sweater gift exchange with to your sister is not the best idea. Well, consider this: One of the great things about giving the gift of charity is that you can get your kids involved. I have 7-year old twins. Getting them to give up their stuff can be a challenge. But I believe one of the best lessons I can teach them is the importance of giving and helping others. It’s easy to do. Have your kids round up gently-used toys and books that other little boys and girls will be able to use and donate them to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Remember that when you donate used clothing, toys or household goods, you get to write-off the item’s fair market value, which may be considerably less than what you actually paid. I like ItsDeductible Online. It’s free and gives you the fair market value of commonly donated items.

And of course, one of the most valuable and precious gifts you can give is the gift of time. Get friends and family involved for a day at your local food bank, hospital or animal shelter. You can deduct some out-of-pocket expenses you incur to do your good work, including what you pay for materials, supplies, uniforms and parking.

But time is running out if you want to save on this year’s taxes and get your shopping done before New Year’s rolls around. You need to purchase your gift of charity by December 31, 2009 if you want to write it off on your 2009 return. If you charge the donation on your credit card, the write-off is claimed in 2009, even if you don’t pay the credit card bill until 2010.

The bottom line is that if you itemize deductions on your tax return, you can write off your charitable contributions, whether you give the gift of charity or donate money to an animal shelter, stocks to your alma mater, or clothing to an overseas relief effort. For your donation to be deductible, it must go to a non-profit group that is approved by the IRS. If you’re not sure whether the group you want to help is approved by the IRS to receive tax-deductible donations, check online at IRS Search for Charities.

Making a charitable contribution in honor of someone you love is a wonderful way to give thoughtful gifts that your friends and family will always remember. The fact that you get a tax deduction is just icing on the cake.

Sandy Block, personal finance reporter for USA Today recently covered the news in her column. One clever reader even commented that this is a ‘Botax.’

Plastic surgeons are mounting a vigorous defense against the tax, claiming it will unfairly target middle-class women. Apparently, elective plastic surgery is no longer just for wealthy women who take their little purse dog in a Louis Vuitton to lunch. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 86 percent of cosmetic surgery patients are women, and 60% have an annual income of $30,000 to $90,000.

But it makes me wonder who else will be up in arms? Angelina Jolie’s lips may have an issue with the tax. How many wannabe Hollywood starlets who think they need bigger boobs will be willing to pay extra to get a DD if the taxman gets his cut too? What about poor Joan Rivers, for pete’s sake!

Women face much more pressure than men to look young and attractive. That’s true regardless of how much money you make. I’ll tell you upfront that I’m for plastic surgery. In fact, I’m for anything that helps you feel more confident and better about yourself, and if getting a tummy tuck or a facelift does it, more power to you.

I’m not alone, by the way. More than 55 million cosmetic surgery procedures will be performed in 2015 predicts a recent study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. This more than quadruples the number of procedures performed in 2005. It’s a result of increased consumer awareness, direct-to-consumer marketing and advertising, and the prevalence of non-surgical options.

I don’t think the 5% tax, estimated to raise about $5.8 billion in the next 10 years, will deter people who want cosmetic surgery from getting it. Nor do I expect people will rush to their local plastic surgeon to get in under the wire. What I do believe is that if you’re going to get some work done, taking time to make a thoughtful choice that is right for you is a good thing.

What about you? If you’re thinking about a new nose, would you do it sooner if you could to avoid the added tax?

In Sept. 2009, President Obama announced that all Americans who receive tax refunds will have the option to purchase U. S. Savings Bonds at tax time. His intent is to “revive this economy and rebuild it stronger than before. And making sure that folks have the opportunity and incentive to save is essential to that effort.”

The idea is to give people who might not ordinarily save an easy way to build a nest egg by having their tax refund directed toward buying savings bonds.

Savings Bonds Make it Easier to Save

Some benefits of Series I bonds are:

• Inflation protection: Series I bonds are designed to protect holders from inflation, with a variable rate that changes with the consumer price index and a fixed rate on top of the variable rate.

• Good value: There are no fees to buy or redeem U.S. Savings Bonds and I Bonds issued this tax season will earn 3.36% at issue and through tax deadline in April 2010.

• Security: U.S. Savings Bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government and the rate on I Bonds will never drop below zero.

If you have been thinking about tucking a little more of this year’s tax refund away for a rainy day, the new Savings Bond option may be a great choice for you. And it couldn’t be easier. TurboTax automatically offers this option for customers receiving a tax refund, making it even easier to save. Because, let’s face it, every little bit counts.

Here are some of the main features of the 2010 program:

• You can direct the IRS to put all or part of your federal tax refund toward the purchase of an I bond.

• The Treasury will issue paper savings bonds, mailed directly to the address listed on your 1040.

• The I bond is a “face value” bond, meaning that if you pay $50 you’ll get a $50 bond.

• I bonds are available in denominations of $50, $100, $200, $500 and $1,000. If you buy $250 worth of bonds or less, you’ll receive $50 bonds. If you buy more than $250 you’ll receive five $50 bonds and the remainder in the largest denominations possible.

• You are allowed to buy a maximum of $5,000 in paper bonds per Social Security number.

• You must hold an I bond for 12 months before cashing it. Exceptions may be allowed in the event of certain emergencies. If you cash an I bond in fewer than five years you’ll forfeit the last three months’ accumulated interest.

• You can buy a bond in your name or, if you’re married and filing jointly, it will be in both spouses’ names.

If you’re like me and itemize deductions on your tax return, you can write off your charitable contributions, whether you give money to a church, stocks to your alma mater, or clothing to an overseas relief effort. For your donation to be deductible, it must go to a non-profit group that is approved by the IRS. Typically these are charitable, religious or educational organizations, though they can also be everything from your local volunteer fire company to a group for the prevention of cruelty to animals. If you’re not sure whether the group you want to help is approved by the IRS to receive tax-deductible donations, check online at IRS Search for Charities.

To write off any cash contributions, no matter how small, you need a canceled check, bank record or a receipt with the charity’s name and donation amount. I like to keep my receipts in a folder along with other tax data for the year. That means that you can’t deduct cash put in the church collection plate or the Salvation Army bucket (but those things are definitely worth doing regardless of whether or not you can claim it on your tax return).

As with all itemized deductions, timing is everything. You can take the deduction for your contribution in the year that you make it. So, if you mail a check to your favorite charity by December 31, 2009 you can write it off on your 2009 return. If you charge the donation on your credit card, the write-off is claimed in 2009, even if you don’t pay the credit card bill until 2010. But remember, a pledge to make a donation is different: Because it’s only a promise of a future donation, there’s no deduction until you follow through.

Donating used goods such as clothing, electronics, appliances and furniture gets you a write-off for the item’s fair market value at the time you donated it, which may be considerably less than what you originally paid. The easiest way to determine the fair market value of an item is to use ItsDeductible Online from TurboTax. This free program gives guidance on prices for commonly donated items and is designed to transfer your donation information to your tax return.

Also, Congress has recently clamped down on donations of household goods to make sure folks aren’t inflating the value of their used stuff. No tax deduction is allowed unless an item is in good condition or better. So no socks with holes, please.

And don’t overlook the volunteer work you do, which may generate a deduction too. You can write off many out-of-pocket expenses you incur to do good work, including what you pay for materials, supplies, uniforms and parking.

Giving – be it a little or a lot – is just plain good for you. So after you’ve celebrated with family and friends, take a minute to help someone else. They’ll be very thankful.

TurboTax is right up there with Jet Blue, Cover Girl, Elizabeth & James (the Olsen twins clothing line) and get this, the Snuggie.

AdAge interviewed VP of TurboTax Andy Young, who recently joined Intuit about two months ago. He talks about the great work the TurboTax online marketing and brand teams did last year to grow new customer acquisition and online engagement with ‘never been done,’ innovative programs that cross online and offline advertising, social media and PR.

NetBanker notes that TurboTax was the only financial tech company that made the list and said “Who would have thought tax preparation software could be cool?” Well, me, actually. And a bunch of other people at TurboTax think so too.

While we appreciate the recognition, what really matters to us is that we’re going way outside the box to build equity in the TurboTax brand with millions of consumers who don’t know how we can help them do their taxes easily and get a bigger refund.

Our job is to help you put more money in your pocket. Having AdAge give us some love for doing that in fun, engaging and innovative ways is just icing on the cake.