Get breaking news from the IRS

As tax laws change in this uncertain economic climate, you can get reliable federal tax news directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) (MSNBC Dec. 8).

Congress is rushing to finalize a $900 billion tax deal that will affect all Americans, and you can arm yourself with information in a variety of ways (The New York Times Dec. 6):

• Twitter: The newest route is via the Twitter news feed, @IRSnews. Twitter's feed will provide tax tips, law changes, information about the Earned Income Tax Credit, "Where's My Refund," and how-to sections such as "how to e-file." You can even sign up for text messages from this site. If you're not familiar with Twitter, sign up and log in to Twitter.com. Then go to IRSnews and click on "follow."
• YouTube: If video is your favorite way to get information, subscribe to the IRS tax information channel on YouTube to get tax tips and help about filing for free. Click on "subscribe." You can set up a YouTube account at the link. Then go to IRSvideos and choose how you want to be notified of new material.
• iTunes: You can download free MP3 files with answers to typical tax questions from iTunes. If you aren't familiar with using an iTunes account, you can hear the same podcasts on the IRS website.
• E-mail: Sign up to receive tax tips from the IRS via e-mail--every business day during the tax-filing season and periodically throughout the year.