With the new year, it’s time to get prepared for the federal income tax season. In most years, the federal deadline to submit your forms to the Internal Revenue Service is April 15, but in 2011, the deadline has been pushed back to April 18, giving American taxpayers just one more weekend to procrastinate.

One of the more popular forms for taxpayers to use in dealing with the IRS is the 1040-EZ, a one-page sheet that asks only for some simple arithmetic in computing what you owe or what you’re due to get as a refund. However, if you’re interested in getting more cash back from your government, you’ll want to file deductions, something not possible on the EZ. You can either take matters in your own hands with the regular 1040s or visit a certified professional accountant.