MAKE MONEY ONLINE

I have been using Google Adsense on my websites for more than a year. Here are some tips for maximizing your earnings with Google Adsense program. I am not an expert, but here are few of my observations.

1. Include Ads on all pages of your website. Do not leave any page without ads.
2. Use both Ad Units and Link Units in your web pages.
3. Incorporate Text Ads between your content and you are more likely to attract the attention of your visitors.
4. Position all your ads such that it is easily visible to your Visitors. For example, if you have a very lengthy web page, placing ads at the end of the page may not be very useful, as your users may not be scrolling till the end of the page.
5. Include a Google Search Box in all your pages. Users can search for relevant content on your site or all the web using the Search Box.
6. You can enable Adsense for your feeds. This way, users who read the content of your site via any Feed Aggregator can view ads.
7. Make sure that your colors of text ads and ad links match the colors used on your web page. Try to use the exact same colors used for the hyperlinks on your page.
8. An ad bigger in size is more likely to grab attention than a tiny ad. For eg; a skyscraper will be more effective than a Button Sized Ad.

Adsense is a good option for anybody who is new to the Web. How much you earn depends on the traffic your site receives and other factors like Page Click Through Rate (CTR) and Effective cost-per-thousand impressions (eCPM).

Note

If you are new to Adsense, you can read about the basics of Adsense here.

Clixsense has mailed me my second check dated April 1st, 2010.  I received $17.60 from my earnings of $20.60, after a check  transaction fees of $3. The minimum Cashout amount on Clixsense is $10. I waited till my earnings reached $20 before requesting for Payment. You can choose to withdraw at $10, $20, $30, $40 or $50. The Check transaction fees of $3  remains the same for each withdrawal. It is better to wait till you earn $50 and then cashout, so that you will have to pay $3 transaction fee only once. I have decided to wait till I reach $50 before I withdraw again, to reduce the transaction fee.

Here is the proof of my earnings on Clixsense. Click on the below image to view the full size.

Second Payment from Clixsense

On an average, I have been viewing 20 ads daily. Each ad earns me 1 cent.  Every 50-60 days, I am able to reach the minimum payout of $10. So I can earn $60 minimum in a year which is not bad at all as my investment is only $10. You can view Proof of First Payment from Clixsense here.

Their referral program is really good. If you are a Premium member on Clixsense and you are really dedicated, then you can view around 40-50 ads daily by logging in at different times throughout the day. This way, you can earn even more by investing only $10.You can earn around $15/month and $180 in a year.

Note

• If you are new to Clix sense, you can read the Basics of Clixsense here.
• Clixsense has a Premium Membership Program.
• Learn how to earn more with Clixsense Premium Membership here.

So go ahead and join Clixsense.

I received my first check from SendEarnings on March 5th, 2010. They have a check processing fee of $3. So, I received $27 after earning $30. It doesn’t matter as I had earned $5 as a Signup Bonus while joining SendEarnings. Moreover, after requesting for the First Payment, they will credit $3 into your Send Earnings account.

I would recommend SendEarnings to all of you, if you are willing to wait for a few months to reach the minimum cashout of $30. There are so many ways to earn money on Send Earnings like Paid Surveys, Free Quizzes, Paid to Signup Offers, Cashback Shopping and so on. This site is open to international members. It took me exactly one year to receive my first check from Send Earnings. I wasn’t really active. But, if you are an active member and you take part in the surveys and Paid To Signup Offers, you can quickly reach the cashout amount of $30 within a few months.

Click here to join SendEarnings. All the Best!!!

These are the PTC, PTS and Paid Email Sites open to International members. You don’t have to be from USA to signup on these sites.

1. DonkeyMails
2. NeoBux
3. SendEarnings
4. Inbox Dollars
5. ClixSense
6. No-minimum

If you are filing your taxes online using e-file, you can save hundreds of dollars. You don’t need a tax Preparer and can file your taxes online using any good Tax Software. You can read more about it here.

There are many websites which claim to provide Free E-Filing of your Income Tax Returns. Most of these websites have some hidden fees. After creating a Profile and entering all your Tax information, you will find out that nothing is free. Moreover, these websites take you through many confusing questions, and in the end, you will find out that you have wasted your time and you have to pay to proceed with filing. Some websites are ridiculous enough to charge fees for Direct Deposit of Returns or even Printing the Prepared Returns.

This year, I tried many different Websites and some were absolutely worthless and total waste of time. One such useless site is TurboTax. TurboTax only allows you to “Prepare” your Federal Income Tax Return for free but it doesn’t allow you to e-file the prepared return. By free what they mean is that you have to take a print of the completed form and mail it to IRS. They even charge a very high amount for Preparing your State Returns and even more e-filing it. After all this nonsense, you will see them charging for Direct Deposit of returns to your Bank Account. You end up paying more than what you would have paid if you went to a Tax professional. Do not waste your time on Turbotax.com.

List of Sites which Provide Free Preparation and E-filing of Federal Income Tax Returns

1. FreeTaxUSA.com
2. TaxHawk.com
3. IRS Free Fillable Forms
   
4. OLT Online Taxes (www.olt.com) – Free if you are 20 years or younger.

Check out more sites which allow Free Filing here.

List of Sites which Provide Free Preparation and E-filing of State Income Tax Returns

1. TaxHawk.com – Free if your AGI is less than $20,000.
2. OLT Online Taxes (www.olt.com) - Free if you are 20 years or younger.
3. Tax Simple (www.TaxSimple.us) – Free if your AGI is less than$57,000.

Please check if your state is there in the list and if e-filing is allowed. Some States only allow Direct Filing.

Some good sites for Preparing and E-Filing Both Federal and State Income Tax Returns

These sites allow e-filing of both Federal and State for the amount mentioned below. There are no hidden charges or additional fees for preparation and e-filing. I filed my tax returns using FreeTaxUsa.com this year and had to pay only $9.95.

1. FreeTaxUSA.com – $9.95
2. TaxSlayer.com – $14.90
3. TaxHawk.com – $12.95
   
4. OnePriceTaxes.com – $14.95
5. TaxAct.com – $14.95
   

It’s time to file your US Tax Returns. I would like to share some information for all those who are Filing Taxes for the First Time in USA or those who are filing tax returns online for the first time.

Internal Revenue Service

The Internal Revenue Service is the Tax Collection Agency of United States. The official site of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is http://www.irs.gov/index.html. The IRS Website provides lot of information regarding Taxes and Returns for Individuals, Businesses, Charities and Non-Profits, Government Entities, Tax Professionals and so on.

Who are Individual Tax Payers?

The IRS has the following classification for Individual Tax Payers :- Employees, Farmers, International Taxpayers, Military, Parents, Self-Employed, Student, Seniors and Retirees.

Types of Returns

There are two types of tax returns which you need to file:

1. Federal Tax Returns – April 15 of each year is the due date for filing your Federal Individual income tax return.
2. State Tax Returns – You can find more about Your State’s Tax Forms and Returns here. If you are required to file a state tax return, it is probably due by April 15, but check with your state to be certain.

So the first step is to find out if you need to file Federal and State Returns for last year.

Steps Involved in Filing Your Return

There are 2 steps involved in Filing your Tax Returns:

1. Preparing your Returns – Filling out the necessary Forms with the correct details and amounts.
2. Filing Your Returns - Sending the completed Forms to IRS either by mail or online.

There are various options available for Preparing your Returns as well as Filing it.

How to File Your Tax Returns?
There are 2 ways in which you can file your Tax Returns.

1. Paper File – You fill out the necessary forms and mail it to IRS address given for your area. You can find out where you need to mail your Paper Tax Returns here.
2. E-file or Electronic Filing (Filing Tax Returns Online) – When you efile your tax returns, you fill out all forms online and submit it to IRS online. E-filing has lot of advantages over Paper Filing like Greater Accuracy, Quick Confirmation and Faster Refunds. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about mailing the Paper Returns.

Sometimes, you may not be able to E-file. Eg: You don’t have an SSN or ITIN Number. In such cases, you will need to Paper File.

How to Prepare your Tax Returns?
Whether you are Paper Filing or E-Filing, you can prepare your returns yourself or get assistance from a Tax Preparer or Volunteer.

1. Tax Preparers – These are individuals who can help you in preparing your Tax Returns usually for a fee. A paid preparer is required, by law, to sign the return and fill in the preparer area of the form.
2. Self - You prepare the tax return yourself.
3. IRS Volunteers – They offer free tax help to individuals who qualify like people with low-to-moderate income (generally, $49,000 and below), elderly people, military personnel and their families. Check our for details about Free Tax preparation by Volunteers here.

Local IRS Office or IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC) are your source for personal tax help. These are Local Offices located in all states. If you need face-to-face tax assistance, you may visit your nearest TAC local office. You can find out the TAC locations in your state on this page.

Filing your Tax Returns Yourself

Most often, individuals can prepare their Federal and State Tax Returns themselves without any assistance. If you go to a Tax Professional, you will be charged a good amount as fees for Preparing the Returns. You can save lot of money when you file your taxes yourself. You can either choose to Paper File or E-File your returns. The easiest method is to use any free online Tax Software and fill out the forms. After filling, you can go ahead and print the forms and mail it to IRS. Or you can continue to e-file the Returns online. E-filing is secure, convenient and paperless. There are some Tax Software Companies which allow you to e-file your Federal or State Returns online for free. Sometimes, you may have to pay a very small amount (around $10) for e-filing your Federal or State returns. But it is far better than paying hundreds of dollars to Tax Preparers or Professionals.

IRS E-file for Individuals

The IRS encourages Individual Taxpayers to file  their Income Tax Returns electronically instead of the traditional Paper Returns. E-filing your Tax Returns is convenient and safe. Moreover, you get your refunds faster with Direct Deposit. In 37 states and DC, you can simultaneously e-file your Federal and State Returns.

If you choose to electronically file your Federal Income Tax Returns for 2009, IRS provides the following options for individuals.

1. Using a Tax Software

A Tax Software provides step-by-step guidance right from choosing the correct form to filling in all the details in the forms. The software does all the calculations for you and checks for accuracy. You can find out the List of Companies which provide tax preparation software here. IRS does not offer any free software for e-filing. Some of these software companies may offer State tax Preparation in addition to Federal Tax Preparation. You can choose any of the following options for preparing your returns :-

1. Purchase commercially available software from a retailer and install it on your Computer.
2. Download software from an Internet site and prepare your return offline, or
3. Prepare and file your return online without downloading the software.

You may have to pay a nominal fee for using the Tax Software and e-filing the returns (around $10-$15). Always read the Terms and Conditions carefully before choosing the Software. E-Filing of Federal Income Tax Returns is almost always free whereas for State, it is hardly free.

Some Good Websites for Filing Tax Returns Online are:-

1. FreeTaxUSA.com
2. TaxHawk.com
3. TaxSlayer.com
4. OnePriceTaxes.com
5. TaxAct.com

If you do not want to e-file or are not allowed to e-file because of any reasons (eg: No ITIN or SSN), you can still prepare your Returns using any Tax Software, print it out and mail it to IRS.

2. Free File

If your Adjusted Income is less than $57,000 in 2009, you will be eligible to prepare and e-file your taxes for free. These are the companies which participate in Free File Program. In addition, many of these companies offer free or paid state tax preparation and efiling services. You can read more about Free File here.

3. Free Fillable Forms

There is no Tax Software involved and it is absolutely free for everyone. These are online forms which can be filled by yourself. You will need to do the calculations yourself. After filling the forms, you can e-file it online. However, State E-file is not supported by Free Fillable Forms. Read more about Free Fillable Forms here. If you do not want to e-file or are not allowed to e-file because of any reasons, you can still fill out the Forms using Free Fillable Forms, print it out and mail it to IRS.

4. Authorized IRS E-File Providers for Individuals

These are Tax Preparers who can assist you with filing. Tax professionals who are accepted into the electronic filing program are called “Authorized IRS e-file Providers”. They mostly charge a fee for providing this service. You can find put an Authorized E-File Tax Provider here. Remember, not all Tax Professionals are Authorized e-file Providers.

With IRS e-file you can prepare your own return and pay a tax professional only to transmit it electronically, or you can pay to have your return both prepared and transmitted. Whichever you choose, shop around for a tax professional who offers the services you need at an acceptable cost to you. Beware of Tax Preparer Frauds. Avoid preparers that base their fee on a percentage of the amount of your refund

Federal/State e-file for Taxpayers

Federal/State E-File allows the electronic filing of both Federal and state income tax returns at the same time. However only some states participate in Federal/State E-File. If your state is there in the list, you can conveniently e-file both Returns online. Some states only allow Direct filing.

How to File your Tax Returns Absolutely Free

Let me summarize the Various Options for Filing your Returns for Free:-

1. Get all the necessary forms and fill it out yourself and mail it to IRS.
2. Use any free online tax software and prepare your returns. If the Software Company allows you to e-file your Federal or State Returns for free, go ahead and e-file. Else, take prints of the Prepared Returns and mail it to IRS.
3. Use Free Fillable Forms and e-file your Federal Tax Return for free.
4. You may be eligible for Free File if your Adjusted Income is less than $57,000 in 2009.
5. You may be eligible for Free Tax Preparation and filing by IRS Volunteers.

Suggestions

I had used Free Fillable Forms last year to fill out Federal Income Tax Return. I needed to do some calculations myself based on the PDF given on the site but it was not difficult. I couldn’t e-file last year due to some restrictions. So, I took print out of the Forms filled using Free Fillable Forms and mailed it to IRS. For State Income Tax Return, I used a Tax Preparer and had to pay a nice fee.

This year, I went through the various options and decided to e-file both Federal and State Returns online. Luckily, my State – North Carolina was there in the Federal/State E-File list. It was a wise decision. I could e-file both Federal and State Income Tax returns for only $9.95. I used FreeTaxUSA.com for e-filing and it was very easy and accurate. I saved a few hundreds by using an Online Tax Software instead of a Tax Professional.

Hope this was helpful!!!

Clixsense is the only site where I have paid $10 for annual Premium Membership. When I became a Premium Member in Aug 2009, I used to get between 15-20 ads daily for viewing. I had estimated that I would be able to make $10 within 50-60 days, provided I viewed ads daily.

Beginning 2010, Clixsense has got much better for Premium Members. They have got lot of advertisers and you get to view around 60 ads a day. Now there are 24 hours in a day and if you sit in front of your PC for 8 hours a day, you can easily view 40 ads a day. If you faithfully view 40 ads a day, you can earn 1 cent per ad and it gives you 40 cents. You earn $12 in a month. Earlier you could earn only $5 max in a month. This means that you can reach the Minimum Payout of $10 in less than a month on Clixsense. With an annual Paid Membership, you can earn around $120 a year for just an investment of $10.

Tips for Earning Money through Clixsense

1. Clixsense works best for people who work for 8-10 hours in front of their PC. It is also beneficial for People who Stay at home or Work from Home as they can login to their Clixsense account any time of the day.
2. You can edit your Categories of Interest in your Profile once in 3 months. Make sure you select all Possible Categories from the List so that you get to view all available ads.
3. Follow Clixsense Twitter page. Set a twitter application on your desktop or mobile phone. As soon as a new ad is available, you can login to Clixsense account and view the ad before it gets exhausted. If you view the Twitter Page for Clixsense, you will be amazed to see the number of ads that are available daily.
4. Make it a routine to view ads daily or whenever possible. If you skip a day, you lose $0.4 a month. Now if you skip your weekends, you are going to lose $3 a month.

Wishing you all the best in your endeavors with Clixsense!!!

Note

• If you are new to Clix sense, you can read the Basics of Clixsense here.
• You can view Proof of First Payment from Clixsense here and Proof of Second Payment from Clixsense here.

Here is a Summary of my Earnings during the past one year. I joined the PTC, PTS and Paid Email World with DonkeyMails on Feb 27th, 2009 and now, I have successfully completed 1 year. I have invested only $10 for Clixsense Premium Membership. Other than that, all sites are absolutely free.

I have earned around $200 in one year. It is a very small amount but I have earned this amount by spending just a few minutes daily on these sites. If you can spare 30 minutes to 1 hour a day on a few genuine sites, you can earn atleast 200$ a year as pocket money. The more time and money you invest, the more you earn in the PTC World. You need to know where to invest and how to utilize your time.

There are lot of SCAM Sites or I should say that majority of the sites turn out to be Scam Sooner or Later. Try to find out genuine sites and then invest your time and money. Remember PTC and Paid Email is just one way to earn money online. There are other ways like Paid Surveys, Monetizing Blogs and Websites etc.

Wishing you good luck!

Update

Upbux is a SCAM Site and the site no longer exists.

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I just received my first payment from Upbux during the first week of Feb, 2010. Unfortunately Upbux.com seems to be shutting down. If you go to www.upbux.com, you can see a message by the Admin about some Paypal Fraud and why they cannot continue with the PTC Site. It seems their Paypal account has been frozen and 85% of their earnings were in Paypal. Is it believable or are they trying to run away with all the investor’s money?

I googled about Paypal Fraud and there are many sites which list PayPal as a fraud. I haven’t invested any money with Upbux. So I am safe, but there were many members who had paid for upgraded membership and renting referrals. Let’s wait and see what happens to the site. Will it come alive or is it doomed?

Update

Upbux is a SCAM Site and the site no longer exists.

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First Payment From Upbux

I have received my first payment from the PTC (Paid to Click) Site Upbux. Upbux is a new site and is growing steadily. It is a genuine PTC site to earn money. The layout of the site is pretty much similar to Neobux.

I joined Upbux on Nov 14th, 2009 and made it to the minimum payment of $2 by Feb 1st 2010. I reached the minimum payment by clicking on 4 or 5 ads most of the days. Each ad pays 1 cent. There were days when I was too busy to login to Upbux. Except for those few days, I think I pretty much viewed all the ads. Upbux pays instantly through PayPal and Alertpay. It is an instant payment. Your paypal or altertpay account gets credited the very same day you click on the Cashout button. So you don’t have to wait for days unlike other sites. The minimum payout amount is set at $2.00 (two US dollars).

Here is the Proof of Payment from Upbux. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Proof of Payment Received - Upbux

Upbux has both Standard and Upgraded Memberships. You can rent referrals similar to Neobux. The best way to earn money on Upbux is by renting referrals. The Forum is good with lot of tips and strategies.

So go ahead and join Upbux. Click here to join Upbux.