It's tax season, freelancers, and that means it's time to dig out that pile of receipts and tax slips and get them organized. If that idea fills you with dread, the New School of Finance has a free course that might help.

The Toronto-based fee-only financial planning firm's Tax Prep Party is a short tutorial filled with good, basic information to help you get your papers in order.

There are two video modules -- one is a general tax preparation checklist and the other is specifically aimed at sole proprietors. The course explains the various slips you'll need to submit with your return and will remind you of all the little tax credits and deductions that will help you save money on your taxes. Tax Prep Party is presented by financial planner Shannon Lee Simmons, whose entertaining and energetic personality livens up an otherwise tedious chore.

Whether you're completing your tax return yourself or hiring a tax preparer, Tax Prep Party will help you make sense of the jumble of slips and receipts. As a bonus, if you register for this free course you'll be offered a discount on the New School of Finance's comprehensive business course for freelancers, Sole Prop School.

The deadline to file your personal income taxes is April 30. Self-employed people have until June 15 to file their return, but you might not want to wait until that deadline to file... because you'll pay interest on any taxes you owe between April 30 and June 15.

For more advice on filing your tax return as a freelancer, check out these posts from Story Board's archives.