Call it clever, or just plain dumb luck, but IRS agents in Alabama have stumbled upon a new way to track taxpayers who are not reporting certain income.

The following article is provided courtesy of CCH, Inc.The IRS has announced that taxpayers seeking extensions for filing their returns can automatically extend their filing deadline four months by phone, computer or by filing a Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, by the April 16 filing deadline.

The Education IRA is an incentive to help parents and students save for higher education. Up to $500 may be contributed to a child's Education IRA each year, according to the IRS. Earnings on contributions will be distributed tax free provided that they are used to pay the beneficiary's post-secondary education expenses. Any individual who meets adjusted gross income (AGI) requirements can make a non-deductible contribution on behalf of a child under the age of 18. The AGI requirements are $95,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married taxpayers.

Confused about whether you can contribute to a Roth IRA? The IRS suggests checking these simple rules:Income To contribute to a Roth IRA, you must have compensation (i.e. wages, salary, tips, professional fees, bonuses). Your modified adjusted gross income must be less than:$160,000 - Married filing jointly. $10,000 - Married filing separately (and you lived with your spouse at any time during the year).

The New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA) is not satisfied with H&R Block's current advertising campaign regarding the filing of complex tax returns. P. Gerard Sokolski, NYSSCPA president, believes that the ads are misleading and detrimental to consumers.According to Mr. Sokolski, H&R Block claims that it prepares more complex tax returns than any CPA firm in America. When challenged, Steven A. Christianson, H&R Block Assistant Vice President, said that they define "complex" as individual returns with schedules.

If you haven't put any money into an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) for tax year 2000, or if you've put in less than the maximum allowed, you still have time, according to the IRS. You can contribute to either a traditional or Roth IRA until the April due date of your tax return.If you make a contribution for the previous tax year, tell the IRA trustee which year the contribution is for. Otherwise, the trustee may report the contribution as being for the year in which it was received.You may contribute up to $2,000 of your earnings each year to an IRA.

Oops! You've discovered an error after your tax return has been filed. What should you do? You may need to amend your return. The IRS usually corrects math errors or requests forms (such as W-2s) or schedules left out. In these instances, do not amend your return. However, do file an amended return if any of the following were reported incorrectly: your filing status your total income your deductions or credits Use

Are you expecting a tax refund from the IRS this year? If you file a complete and accurate paper tax return, your refund should be issued in about six to eight weeks from the date IRS receives your return. If you file your return electronically, your refund should be issued in less than three weeks, even faster when you choose direct deposit.You can have a refund check mailed to you, or you may be able to have your refund deposited directly into your bank account. Direct Deposit into a bank account is more secure because there is no check to get lost. And it takes the U.S.

There was once an accounting firm where the senior CPA knew every thing there was to know about accounting. He could answer any question. He knew all the tax laws: There wasn't a better accountant anywhere.Every morning when he came to work, he would unlock his desk drawer, open it up and look inside for a minute, and then close and lock it again.This puzzled all of his co-workers, because it was the only eccentricity that this person exhibited.