It's that time of the year when people try to figure out all the paperwork associated with filing tax returns. Some can manage it on their own, but most approach a chartered accountant and try their best to appear as if they understand what is being said. If you are one of the latter, we have some good news - filing tax returns online is easier than you think.

The problem is that one look at the Income Tax Department's e-filing website is enough to intimidate most people. The page has some simple links which can help you to find out how much tax you need to pay and how to file your returns, and even pay taxes online - it's all presented in a wall of links though, that can be overwhelming, particularly if you were feeling confused about taxes to begin with.

Luckily, there are some good alternatives available which make the process simple. While there are a lot of websites available, here are our four top picks.

ClearTax
If you want a site that is easy on the eyes, and keeps things simple, then ClearTax is your best bet. It has a nice interface and is very easy to use. The moment you open the website, you'll see two buttons - an orange button that lets you manually fill in details and a green button that offers to scan your Form-16 PDF and fill in details automatically. That's about as easy as it can get. All you need to do is create an account and fill your personal details such as name, PAN, address, etc.