Everyone needs a little tax help now and then. Not all of us, however, can afford to pay a tax professional for guidance. Luckily for us, there are some places that offer tax help for free.

Start dialing
The Internal Revenue Service's automated customer service line at 1-800-829-1040 offers recorded tax information 24 hours a day. The system has a variety of menus and topics covering common tax questions and is available in English and Spanish.

During tax season, if you call Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. your local time, you can talk to a person. But be sure you have the time and patience, as waits can be long during the height of the filing rush.

You also can check out IRS TeleTax topics. By calling 1-800-829-4477 you'll hear prerecorded messages on about 150 tax matters. You'll get your information sooner if you know the three-digit code for the tax topic you need. The full list is available in the instruction booklets for each of the three forms (1040, 1040A and 1040EZ).

Most of these tax topics also are available online. If you don't have an instruction booklet or access to a phone while you're online, the automated TeleTax system list the identification number for each topic.

Finding forms
If you just need a form, check out Bankrate's tax form library for the most frequently filed forms.

If it's a specialized form or publication you need, try the IRS Web site or order the document from the agency's Forms Distribution Center at 1-800-829-3676. As with the TeleTax topics, the catalogue of available documents is in the instruction packages for the individual tax returns.

The IRS promises to get the material to your mailbox within 10 days. If it's backordered, the IRS agent taking your call will let you know.

Come on in
Do you feel more comfortable asking your questions in person? You have several options, depending on where you live.

For face-to-face help in obtaining common tax forms and publications, check out your local post office or library. Most set up racks of the most commonly used forms during tax-filing season.

Libraries that do not carry a large selection of forms may have IRS Publication 1132, which contains forms you can copy, or an IRS CD-ROM that contains hundreds of current year tax forms, instructions and publications that can be downloaded. There may be a nominal copying fee.

If you need more than just paperwork, head to a regional IRS taxpayer assistance center for more personal problem solving. The IRS had planned to close many of these offices, but after receiving more money from Congress in late 2005, the agency reversed itself and is keeping all the centers open.

This online directory will help you find the taxpayer assistance center nearest you. They are open every business day, but call first to find out the exact hours of operation.

Community outreach
Your community also may offer IRS-sponsored help programs such as Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, known as VITA, or Tax Counseling for the Elderly, usually referred to as TCE, programs. In both of these outreach efforts, IRS-trained volunteers provide free basic tax return preparation services.

VITA is for taxpayers who cannot afford paid professional assistance, are elderly, have a low or fixed income (not more than $38,000), do not speak English, are disabled or have other special needs.

TCE is aimed primarily at persons aged 60 or older, particularly those confined to their homes or retirement communities. Volunteers will even go to the taxpayers' homes if they are unable to come to a local TCE site.

Call 1-800-829-1040 to find the VITA or TCE site nearest you. Also check with AARP, the national advocacy group for older Americans. AARP is the largest TCE participant and during filing season the group also operates Tax Aide programs nationwide. Call 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669) to see if AARP tax help is available in your area.

If you have tax needs beyond filing your return, such as tax disputes or litigation, you might be able to get help from a low-income taxpayer clinic, or LITC. These groups represent eligible taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service in audit, appeals, and collection issues, and federal tax litigation for free or for a nominal charge.

Surf the tax 'Net
And, of course, you can stay right where you are -- at your personal computer. There's a wealth of tax information on the Internet. In addition to the tax news, tips and advice in Bankrate's 2006 Tax and Retirement Guide 2006, the IRS provides a wide variety of tax material at its Web site.

If you can't find the answer you need at the IRS site, you can contact the main agency office or locate the tax office nearest you for additional help.

Freelance writer Kay Bell writes Bankrate's tax stories from her home in Austin, Texas, and blogs on tax topics at Don't Mess with Taxes.