Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas, Todd Mason Column.(Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News)

Jan. 30--ELECTRONIC FILING USUALLY MEANS QUICKER REFUND: Politicians spent last year talking about taxes rather than easing the bite or simplifying the chore, but no matter. Internet-based tax preparers accomplished a bit of both with an assist from the Internal Revenue Service.

In fact, there's no reason not to file electronically this year. The price is right: free at some sites. What's more, now that the IRS did away with the last vestiges of paper, everyone is sure to save the price of a stamp.

The savings could be higher if a Web-based preparation service substitutes for the human kind, or an Internet tax site leads you to deductions you won't find on your own.

The freebies first:

Quicken.com will file free electronic returns for folks who made $25,000 or less in 2000, an offer …