It may sound like a desperate choice, unless you're truly desperate: paying Uncle Sam by credit card. The I.R.S. allows this option, and you'll even earn your usual rewards for doing it. But be careful -- if you don't need to take on additional debt to cover your tax bill, the strategy is about as unwise as it is unappealing. Read on to learn more.

A new study says that 30% of older Boomers owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth. That spells bad news for a group that will be retiring soon if they haven't already.

Taxpayers can file their 2007 federal income tax returns electronically. Although some taxpayers couldn't send in their returns until mid-February because new alternative minimum tax laws affected existing IRS forms, the annual e-filing season for the majority of taxpayers was made available by the IRS starting Jan. 11. The date also marked the availability of the Free File program.

Whether someone can do their own taxes is an interesting question. The U.S. tax code gets more and more complicated with each passing year. Another year, another set of rules added to the previous set of rules. If you have a very simple and straightforward tax situation, then DIY taxes may be for you.

The IRS encourages taxpayers to file their tax returns electronically using its e-file system. The online service is free, fast and reliable.

The IRS says more folks are taking advantage of Free File, its program that allows many taxpayers to prepare and file their federal taxes for free online. In Free File, you can choose among 19 authorized services to prepare and file your return. It's a good bet that many taxpayers will consider the popular TaxACT, from 2nd Story Software; TaxCut, from H&R Block; or CompleteTax, from CCH.