Dear Brad and Bob:

It's almost April 15th and I just realized I have to get my tax forms done. Help!

--B.M. (via e-mail)

Brad: Every year, too many educators procrastinate on filing their taxes, and we bet this year is no different. This column is especially dedicated to you--the last-minute filer.

Bob: Of course you realize that the odds of making a "hurried" mistake increase exponentially as the deadline for filing draws near. And it's the simple math errors that cause many returns to be kicked out for further examination. You do not want that! If you are preparing your own return, let's hope you are using a tax program and a computer to do the math and to ensure that you've completed all your forms. Some very common mistakes that a computer program cannot correct automatically are misspelled names, wrong addresses and/or Social Security numbers.

Brad: And you want those to be right. Last November, IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti reported that 92,000 refund checks totaling almost $68 million were returned to the IRS. Most of the errant checks were for taxpayers whose last known address was in California, Florida, New York or Texas. The leading causes of the returned checks include taxpayers moving (and not filing Form 8822, Change of Address, with the IRS), incorrect addresses on returns and name changes from individuals getting married. So the big money questions are, who are you and where are you? If you didn't get your check, call the IRS at 1/800-829-1040.

Bob: If you want to avoid problems associated with late filing, it's good to remember the timely mailed/timely filed rulings.

If you use the U.S. Postal Service, your return must be postmarked no later than midnight April 16, 2001, to be "timely mailed." If you choose to have a private delivery service handle your return, only four carriers qualify for the timely mailed/timely filed rule. These are Airborne Express, Federal Express, DHL and UPS.

Brad: If you file electronically, there will be an electronic postmark given by the authorized electronic return transmitter. As long as the electronic postmark meets the timely mailed/timely filed rule, the return will be treated as timely filed no matter when the IRS actually receives it.

Bob: Remember that all income taxes owed are due April 16, 2001, along with your return (April 15 falls on a Sunday this year, which is why the deadline is a day later than the norm). If you cannot get your return together, you can request a filing extension by telephone, by electronic software or by mailing in Form 4868 by the April 16 deadline. But this only permits your return to be late. You must pay any taxes due at the time you request an extension. And, because you don't know how much you will owe, you are going to have to overpay to avoid any penalties for underpayment of taxes.

Brad: Once you've filed your return, don't put all your tax-related stuff away until next year. Although it will be another year before you have to file a return, the decisions you make about your tax-related finances during the remainder of 2001 will affect that return. So the smart frog has already begun thinking about that 2001 return due in 2002.