I'll be honest with you. I'm no good with numbers.

It's probably no coincidence that as I aspired to being a writer and journalist, I was also taking calculus in high school.

No surprise, then, that during tax season I usually get my taxes prepared by someone else. I'm not unusual. About 80 percent of U.S. households turn to tax preparers or electronic software to help them file their taxes, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

If you don't have a reliable preparer already, one good question to ask yourself is, Do I make low-to-moderate wages, and would my tax preparation be relatively straightforward?

OK, that was two questions. I told you I'm not good at math.

But if you answered yes to both questions, you might consider free tax preparation. A partnership with the state, AARP, IRS and various organizations offers various tax clinics on all islands.

The Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development also has its annual Family and Individual Self-Sufficiency Program, which hosts free tax clinics around the island.

The program's purpose is to educate taxpayers about the Earned Income Tax Credit, a credit for people who have low wages.

In 2007 there were 88,000 taxpayers who claimed the credit, and 51,000 of those paid for a preparer to file their returns. That's millions spent in preparation fees.

“;We save these people a lot of money because the average tax preparation has been $150, and this year it may be around $230,”; said Susan Tamanaha, program coordinator.

According to the IRS, more than $44 million of EITC funds are not claimed by Hawaii residents every year because taxpayers fail to file a federal return or are unaware of their eligibility.

For the 2009 tax year, a married couple or single person with two or more qualifying children can receive more than $5,000 in EITC benefits.

“;For people in Hawaii, that could help pay for a few months' rent,”; Tamanaha said. “;It brings federal dollars into the state, and when it comes it stimulates the local economy.”;

Both tax clinics are volunteer-driven. For alliance's programs, volunteers must be certified. When started in 2005, it had 16 volunteers. This year it's close to 200, including students from Waipahu High School.

“;What we are trying to do is make people feel comfortable about filing taxes,”; said Tamanaha, saying that the program recruits people for tax workshops. “;For people who are interested, we would like to teach them how to do it on their own.”;

Let's say that you don't qualify for free tax assistance and you have to find a tax preparer. It can be tricky sometimes. In 2005 a group of tax preparers pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy in a scheme involving falsely claimed tax refunds.

In January, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman unveiled plans to implement strong regulations for paid tax preparers, including registration, minimum competency testing and continuing education.

“;Taxpayers should protect themselves from unscrupulous preparers,”; he said. “;There are some simple steps people can take to choose a reputable tax preparer.”;

Among them:

» Be wary of preparers who claim they can obtain larger refunds than others.

» Avoid preparers who base their fees on a percentage of the refund.

It's advice that the alliance and longtime local tax preparer Rachel Nakooka stand by. Nakooka has been a preparer in Hawaii for more than 30 years.

Some preparers advertise fast refunds, or refund anticipation loans, which charge taxpayers high interest rates, sometimes up to $500, she said. Annualized interest rates can range from 97 to 2,000 percent.

If you haven't had the money from the refund all year, you could probably wait a while before getting the cash back. It's better, Nakooka says, than paying out of pocket later for what is rightfully yours.

She said any tax preparer who promises a larger refund before seeing any of your documents should be immediately suspect.

“;You have the W-2s in front of you, you have to have the documentation for all of the expenses,”; she said. “;If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”;

The best advice is to ask around. If 80 percent of folks out there are using a tax preparer, chances are you know trustworthy friends and family who can recommend someone for you.

“;Just remember: Anyone that promises you anything, that's a red flag right there,”; Nakooka said.

“;The goal should be to do an accurate tax return.”;

”;Here's the Deal”; helps consumers stretch dollars in these tough economic times. It runs every other Monday. E-mail Gene Park at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).