Tax returns must be filed every year on April 15. If necessary, you may receive a six-month extension of time to file. To see if you are required to file, visit the IRS Web site.

To prepare your returns, you have two options. You may hire someone to prepare your returns for you, or you may prepare them yourself. If you choose to hire a tax preparer, you can pay anywhere from $100 to $250 or more. The amount that you pay generally depends on the complexity of your tax return.

If your tax returns are fairly simple, you may choose to file them yourself. Individual federal tax returns are submitted using IRS Form 1040. As a student, you may qualify for the easy tax form, 1040EZ. Both of these forms can be found at www.irs.gov. You can complete your forms and mail them in, or you can complete them online.