Consumer Reports says there are plenty of places confused tax filers can turn to for help. Everyone from AARP, tax-related Web sites, programs such as Turbo Tax, even the IRS itself, is offering free assistance.

To see whether “free” tax help is a good deal, Consumer Reports had an independent accounting firm help craft some questions that people might ask, including about charitable deductions and whether they could claim someone as a dependent.

Consumer Reports posed the questions at Turbo Tax’s new online forum. And it called the IRS at its 800 number. The IRS was very prompt and polite and answered all the questions. In one case they suggested talking to a professional to get a little bit more help, and in another they left out some details that probably could have saved a taxpayer money.

The Turbo Tax answers were correct, as far as they went, but they were often incomplete. And in several cases they didn’t give answers at all. So Consumer Reports says if you want a tax answer you can depend on, plan on paying a trusted professional.

Consumer Reports says you can get help finding a licensed professional by going to the National Association of Tax Professionals Web site at natptax.com. Click on “find a tax professional” and you’ll get a list of federally licensed tax specialists and CPAs in your area.