Free-File, 2012

More savings. Less taxing. That's the power of Free File. Show taxpayers how.

Now, more than ever, it pays to be smart with money. And there's no smarter move than using Free File, exclusively from the IRS, to do federal taxes. Free File offers both brand-name tax software and online fillable forms that even check math.

The software, offered through a public-private partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, a consortium of software providers, can be used taxpayers who had an adjusted gross income of $57,000 or less in 2011 – that's 70 percent of taxpayers. Online fillable forms are the electronic alternative to paper IRS forms and have no income limit on their use. Taxpayers who choose direct deposit can expect a refund in about 10 days. Federal tax refunds put thousands of dollars in taxpayers' hands and provide an annual $300 billion boost to local economies.

Both Free File options are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, starting January 17, 2012. Some software products are also available in Spanish.