Have you already filed your tax return? If not, make sure to file your return within a month. This year the deadline was extended until April 18 due to Emancipation Day, a holiday observed by the District of Columbia.

Emancipation Day falls on Friday, April 15, this year. However, don’t wait until the last minute to file your tax return and risk being charged late penalties and fees.

The following are the Internal Revenue Service’s top 10 tips that will help your tax filing process run more smoothly this year.

If you made $58,000 or less, you qualify for free tax software that is offered through a private-public partnership with manufacturers. If you made more or are comfortable preparing your own tax return, there's Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic versions of IRS paper forms.

Visit www.irs.gov/freefile to review your options.

4. Try IRS e-file  
After 21 years, IRS e-file has become the safe, easy and most common way to file a tax return. Last year, 70 percent of taxpayers – 99 million people – used IRS e-file.

Starting in 2011, many tax preparers will be required to use e-file and will explain your filing options to you. This is your chance to give it a try. IRS e-file is approaching 1 billion returns processed safely and securely.

If you owe taxes, you have payment options to file immediately and pay by the tax deadline. Best of all, combine e-file with direct deposit and you get your refund in as few as 10 days.

5. Consider other filing options  
There are many different options for filing your tax return. You can prepare it yourself or go to a tax preparer. You may be eligible for free face-to-face help at an IRS office or volunteer site.

Give yourself time to weigh all the different options and find the one that best suits your needs.

6. Consider Direct Deposit  
If you elect to have your refund directly deposited into your bank account, you’ll receive it faster than waiting for a paper check.

7. Visit the IRS website again and again  
The official IRS website is a great place to find everything you’ll need to file your tax return: forms, publications, tips, answers to frequently asked questions and updates on tax law changes.

8. Remember this number: 17  
Check out IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax on the IRS website. It’s a comprehensive collection of information for taxpayers highlighting everything you’ll need to know when filing your return.

9. Review! Review! Review!  
Don’t rush. We all make mistakes when we rush. Mistakes will slow down the processing of your return.

Be sure to double-check all the Social Security Numbers and math calculations on your return as these are the most common errors made by taxpayers.

10. Don’t panic!  
If you run into a problem, remember the IRS is here to help. Try http://www.irs.gov or call toll-free at 800-829-1040.  EL

—Excerpts from IRS Tax Tip 2011-01