Dear Ann Landers,
At this time of year, many taxpayers may be worried about the Internal Revenue Service. Please tell them there is professional help available. Enrolled agents (EAs) are tax professionals licensed by the Treasury Department to represent taxpayers before the IRS. In 1884, President Chester Arthur created enrolled agents to help sort out claims to the Treasury arising from the Civil War. Today, EAs prepare tax returns, provide assistance to taxpayers who need help in complying with our national, state and local tax laws, and, most importantly, help taxpayers in disputes with the IRS. The 10,000 members of the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) work with millions of individual and small-business taxpayers each year. Enrolled agents also help people who have not filed returns in many years. We understand that many taxpayers have had serious personal problems that caused them to miss filing a return, which then snowballed into several missed years. Our concern is to help the taxpayer get through the fear of the government and become compliant once again. If readers need assistance, NAEA has a referral line to help taxpayers find an enrolled agent located near them. The toll-free number is 855-880-NAEA. -- Carol W. Thompson, chair, NAEA Public Information Committee, Monterey, Calif.

Dear Carol Thompson,
Your letter certainly has put a kind face and extended a friendly hand to those who are delinquent in their taxes and afraid to come out from behind the bushes. You've reduced the fear in a great many people who will now file because you wrote. Everybody wins. Thank you. Gem of the Day (credit Jane Fonda): When a man like Robert Redford ages, they say, "Those lines make him look very distinguished." When they look at me, they say, "She looks a lot older than when I saw her in her last movie."

Dear Ann Landers,
I plan to be married in a few months and need some advice. My fiance and I have been together for almost seven years and have all the appliances and accessories we need to furnish our new apartment. We could use some furniture, however, and are now in the process of looking at chairs, tables and so on. Several friends and relatives have let us know they want to give us a shower or a party. We really don't need presents. We would be thrilled if they would give us money so we could buy furniture. Is there a polite way we could ask for money instead of a shower or wedding gift without looking tacky? - Broke in Mississippi

Dear Broke,
If you have a close relationship with aunts, uncles or cousins and they ask, "What do you NEED?" it would be OK to say, "We have everything we need except furniture and are now looking at several pieces. If you'd like to give us a check to help furnish our apartment, that would be wonderful." I know of no polite way to ask friends or relatives who want to give you a shower or wedding gift to give you money instead.

Dear Ann Landers,
I am a male escort working on my master's degree at a university in Washington, D.C. I take out women (usually my mother's age) and am well paid. There is no sex involved. These women simply need a decent-looking, well-dressed guy to take them to various social events at which they would feel ill at ease if not accompanied. Very few friends know about my "moonlighting," which is the way I want it. I have met some interesting, intelligent women in my work, most of them widowed or divorced. Three of these women would like to marry me. Marriage is out of the question. I am gay. Should I tell them? It would be easier than trying to make up reasons for my lack of interest. Yes or no, Ann? -- Mr. X in D.C.

Dear Mr. X,
No. A negative response to the marriage proposals is adequate. There is no need to go into detail about your personal life. Meanwhile, don't be ashamed of your part-time job. The older women are no doubt grateful for the company. And escorting them to social events is a lot easier than cleaning office buildings at night.

Dear Ann Landers,
I was recently invited to the wedding of a family member and was appalled at what was included with the invitation. It was a "suggestion" for a wedding gift. The enclosed card read, "It would be wonderful if you could contribute to 'Jim and Betty's' dream honeymoon in Jamaica. The check should be made out to ... " Is this something new? Am I out of date? Please reply in the paper, with no mention of where I live. -- Appalled Plus

Dear Appalled,
To my knowledge, it is not now, nor has it ever been, good manners to enclose a gift suggestion with any kind of invitation. I hope you will ignore that crude attempt to shake down friends and family members. Send whatever you wish. It is, however, OK for those who are being married for the second or third time to enclose a note saying, "No gifts, please. We have everything we need."

Dear Ann Landers,
You recently printed a letter from parents whom you termed "enablers" because their young adult children still expect money from them. Ann, my husband's situation is exactly the same with his daughter. (She is his only child. I have no children.) "Linda" quit high school in her senior year and has moved from one mediocre salesclerk job to another. Her father stopped paying child support a year ago, but he still gives her money to live on. She calls him regularly every month crying about one financial emergency or another. My husband sends her $200 or $300 after every tearful call and swears each time that it is the last check he will mail. My husband saw the column where you said, "Tell such children the bank is closed." He vowed that his "bank" was going to close. I was thrilled. Then, two days ago, we received another well-rehearsed call from Linda, with the same old song and dance. Again, he sent a check. Ann, how can I convince my husband that he isn't helping Linda by caving in every month when her bills are due? He won't listen to me. He tells me I know nothing about children since I don't have any. We've been together for 12 years. We get along beautifully. I love him and want to stay with him forever. This is the only major conflict we have, but I am a nervous wreck every time the phone rings. Do you have any advice for me? -- Rebecca in Mississippi

Dear Rebecca,
Yes, I do. Lay off. You have spoken your piece, and it has not made a particle of difference. The problem isn't financial; it's emotional. And it isn't YOUR problem; it's his. So swallow it, dear, and don't let this issue ruin your relationship. That grabby daughter would then have her daddy all to herself, and wouldn't that be nice?