Here's a question I got from a reader over the weekend:

I hope you can settle an argument that the wife and I are having about the best timing for filing a return. She's giving me trouble because I have been putting off the chore. I tell her that we reduce our odds of audit by filing right at the deadline because the last-minute rush means the IRS has less time to scrutinize our return. She says I'm crazy (although, admittedly, she says that about a lot of things). Who is right?

I hate to get in the middle of marital squabbles, but I've got to side with your wife on this one. Most returns that are chosen by audit are picked by a computer months after the April deadline.

Whether you file in February or October, the numbers on your return have to run the same IRS gauntlet. One thing is certain, filing late means it will take longer to get your refund, if you're due one, and your tax rebate. The last-minute crush does slow down the refund checks and your rebate won't be processed until after your return is.

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