You'd like to buckle down and do your income taxes. Really, you would. But you're missing one key form: last year's federal income tax return. But wait? It will cost you $30 to get an actual copy?

Taxes may be fact of life, but have you ever been up close and personal with a Form 1040? Here's a beginner's guide to understanding how federal income tax returns work. Many, or all, of the products ...