Tis the season to think of your taxes

It's early January, just the right time to start thinking about taxes.

Granted, few of us will actually do that. But for those intrepid souls who begin preparing now for their annual tax returns, they'll face far fewer headaches in April when those forms are due.

Let's face it. None of us want to do that last-minute dash to the accountant's office or furiously burrow through a mountain of paperwork to find that vital receipt for, say, the $500 energy tax credit. The Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants is offering some January tax tips it hopes will prevent last-minute tax cramming this spring.

Our tax returns are important documents, after all, even though many consider it an onerous task. We are responsible for everything that shows on our tax return, regardless of whether we took pencil to tax form, used a computer program or had a tax preparer handle the task. The annual tax return also provides an important snapshot, if you will, of our financial state of affairs and can be helpful to your overall financial planning needs each year.

Consider this helpful advice from the CPA society:

• Know your terms. The phrase "tax preparer" is pretty broad. It's in your best interest to find out the training and experience of the person who handles your taxes. The state CPA society, of course, advocates using a trained certified public accountant, warning that anyone can use the term "tax preparer."

• Experience counts. This nation's tax laws are complex, ever-changing and, to many of us, indecipherable. That's why it's important to get good advice and use an experienced preparer, or, if you do your own return, study up on tax changes that will affect your 2011 state and federal tax returns. Both the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services' website at www.ct.gov/drs and the Internal Revenue Services' website at www.irs.gov can be helpful tools. While some may have simple returns to file, others, including the self-employed or those out of work, may have special needs or deductions or exclusions. In addition, the Connecticut CPA society points out that if you're dealing with, say, an estate issue or small-business issues, you could benefit from professional tax advice.

• Find out the fees. If someone is preparing your taxes, there are costs and fees associated with that service. So avoid any last-minute surprises or disappointments by asking first about the cost or fees associated with those services. (The Connecticut Society of CPAs, it should be noted, advises against working with someone whose fees are based on a percentage of a refund or how much they can "save" you in taxes.) You also might want to ask your tax preparer if he or she could represent you before tax authorities in case your return is audited - and how much additional expense that would entail. Remember what we said at the outset: You are the one responsible for everything that appears on your individual tax return.

• Review the fine print. Sure, once returns are done, we all breathe a sigh of relief. But, alas, the job's not done. Be sure to review the documents and check the math. If there's anything in the returns that doesn't make sense, or you don't understand, ask before the returns are sent off to the proper government agencies.

Once your returns are done, it shouldn't be out of sight, out of mind. These documents can be a blueprint for financial-planning and personal-finance purposes. If, for instance, you got a big tax refund, signifying you paid more than you owed, you might prefer to adjust your taxes for future paychecks - rather than collect a big lump-sum refund annually.

Anthony Cronin is The Day's business editor.