Should you do your own taxes or hire the job out?

It's not what you know that's important here. It's what you don't know … or, more to the point, what you think you know and really don't.

Bear in mind, our federal tax code is complicated and convoluted. We have rules, exceptions to those rules and exclusions from the exceptions. Because of the extenders passed late last year, some of our tax forms are already out of date. All of the computer tax preparation programs had to be redone.

If you have a simple return, you might consider e-filing or using a simple tax program. But remember, you're not hiring a tax pro just to put numbers in boxes. Any monkey can do that.