Win ‘Your Income Tax 2012’

Long-time readers of the ol' tax blog know that in prior tax seasons I conducted several giveaways.

That's not happening this year.

It's not for lack of opportunity. Neither is it because of issues with the prizes or the companies that made them available.

And it's definitely not because I don't love each and every one of you who stops by Don't Mess With Taxes for some tax filing info, tax planning advice or just to catch up on the latest, and goofiest, tax news.

It's simply that I'm dealing with some added professional and personal demands this year and for some inexplicable reason 24 hours just don't seem as long as they used to.

Plus, I want to be able to spend at least a few of those diminishing hours between now and April 17 with the hubby.

So something had to give. And I decided that it was the contests.

That said, I'm marking No Tax Contests 2012 with, what else, a giveaway.

Earlier this year, I bought a copy of J.K. Lasser's "Your Income Tax 2012." You know what that meant. A few days later a free copy landed in my curbside mailbox.

Now I'm as big a tax geek as they come, but even I don't need two copies of this handy tax filing reference book.

And I certainly don't need to keep tripping over it since I don't have room for both on my bookshelf and the spare copy is on my office floor. (Yes, I'm an inveterate floor record keeper.)

So I'd love to pass along a copy — the unkicked version, of course! — to one of y'all.

I know it's an actual paper book and that seems quaint and amusing to most of y'all reading a blog. But sometimes it's nice to stick Post-it flags on pages and then flip to answers without having to Google.

If you also feel the urge now and then to go a bit old school with your taxes, leave a comment below on the tax break you find the most confusing.

Or if you prefer, you can tell me via Twitter (I'm @taxtweet) or post your thoughts on Don't Mess With Taxes' Facebook wall.

Whichever communication route you choose, please do so by 8 p.m. Central Time on Friday, Jan. 27. That evening I'll randomly select the winner from all the comments and touch base with him or her about how to send the tax book, via snail mail, to its proud new owner.

You also might find these items of interest:

• Taxes? There are apps for that
• Tax filing preparation checklist
• Daily Tax Tips 2012