When Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration,” he was close to the formula for successfully completing a tax form. The difference is in that 1 percent. It all starts with preparation.

Here are 10 tips that can help ease the aggravation of filing your taxes:

1. Bone up. Skim the tax guide to get a sense of what’s new and where potholes lie ahead. Review last year’s returns to see how you handled income and expenses. Note items such as carry over losses, income from Roth conversions and deductions you might forget.

2. Determine whether you must file at all. If you aren’t required to do so, take it easy. But consider filing anyway if you’re eligible to claim a refund or a refundable credit like the earned-income credit or the child and dependent care credits.

3. Get organized. Avoid a last-minute search for your W-2s, 1099s, auto-mileage logs, mortgage reports, charitable receipts, medical expenses and investment records.

4. Make sure your W-2s and 1099s are accurate. Be especially alert if you exercised stock options or sold stock acquired through an employee stock purchase plan. Insist that errors be corrected. Otherwise, your return won’t jibe with IRS and other computerized records and you’ll risk being audited.

5. Get your ID numbers straight. If you changed your name last year (i.e., you married, divorced or tired of “John Walker”), notify the Social Security Administration so that the name on your return will match what’s in the government data bank. If you’re a nonresident or a resident alien and not eligible for an SSN, allow up to eight weeks to obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

6. Write down your Social Security numbers. The IRS’ computers are very finicky. Write down names exactly as they appear on the Social Security card and ignore the birth certificate. If you’re filing a joint return, enter both names and SSNs in the same order as in previous years. Jot down the SSN of every dependent even if they’re not children. List the SSNs for ex-spouses to whom you pay alimony, too.

7. Get the exemptions right. For example, you can’t claim a personal exemption on your return if you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return. This is true even if the other taxpayer doesn’t actually claim your exemption.

8. Download the software update. Tax-software developers often patch bugs as the filing season unfolds. Be sure you’re working with the latest version available.

9. Check your math. The most common error is incorrect addition or subtraction, so double-check your calculations or let someone else do it. And if you rounded off some numbers, stick to the method consistently throughout your returns.

10. Pay attention to details. Countless returns are sabotaged when taxpayers get sloppy. Use the correct column in the tax-rate tables when you look up how much you owe. Attach all the necessary forms and schedules. Sign and date your return. (Your spouse also must sign if you file jointly.)

If you owe money, sign the check. And if you plan to delay mailing your return until April 15, slap enough postage on the envelope.