UPDATE: QuickTax giveaway is now closed

Click here to see if you were selected to receive one of five QuickTax Standard tax software packages. And check back soon for more giveaways.

Every year since my first part-time job in high school (I coached kids' recreational gymnastics once a week), I've done my own taxes. I'm good at math (more than once has the word "nerd" been used to describe me) and love the anticipation: How much money will I get back this time? But, as Bronwyn would say, I h-word the process. (She's been taught at school that "hate" is a bad word, so we aren't allowed to say it in the house.)

Those old-school paper forms would cover the entire surface of my dining table, and inevitably I'd discover that I missed a receipt or made a mistake on Schedule A or whatever, which meant I'd have to recalculate not just Schedule A, but, like six different parts of my tax return. It was an all-day process at best, and a several-day process on average.

Then I got married and had kids. Oy! If I thought the income tax return process was complicated as a singleton.... You have to co-ordinate everything! And what if your partner isn't as motivated as you — then you have to bug them daily to start their tax return so you can get yours over with, already!

Several years ago, Matt and I found the solution to this: Tax prep software. If you're absolutely number-phobic, you can choose the "interview" mode in QuickTax, which prompts you every step of the way, so you can't possibly go wrong. And if you're a confident tax-preparer with a more complex situation (maybe you do a bit of freelance work on the side, or have some non-registered investments to report), you can go it alone, knowing that if you make a mistake or forget a receipt, you can simply key in the correct number and — omg, this is my favourite part! — everything is recalculated automatically, across the board! Still can't figure out where you went wrong? There's a team of real, live, trained people standing by, whom you can call for help almost anytime.

OK, I recognize that tax prep software isn't going to excite most people as much as it excites me. But who wouldn't want an easier, quicker way to get through their taxes, so they can get their stinkin' refund, already?

We have five QuickTax Standard software packages (valued at $39.99 each) to give away, right here. Just tell us why you need help with your income tax return (the funnier or quirkier or sadder your story, the better), and you'll be automatically entered for a chance to receive one.