i'm surprised how many people do not use accountants to prepare their taxes. i tried turbotax or one of it's ilk my first year out of college. it showed me owing 7k. after freaking out i got in contact w/ my brothers accountant. i ended up getting a refund of 700. it's not my job to know the ins and outs of the tax code or to keep up on what has changed since last years filings. hire an expert.