The odds of winning the grand prize are less than one in 146 million, but it's a sure bet that if you do win a big jackpot, you're going to also have a big tax bill, with more than one-third of your winnings going to the IRS.

I can't tell you why there hasn't been a hue and cry about this. Maybe it's just because the baby boomers aren't quite old enough to be affected by it yet.

You don't have a filing requirement because you don't have a tax due. But if you had withholding, you've paid tax. It's worth your while to file a return to get your money back.

Increasing the length of the automatic extension will save taxpayers some time and trouble, but it's still smart to file as soon as you can.

The one thing that can make a bad situation worse is not filing your return or requesting an extension. That brings on a failure-to-file penalty, in addition to possible penalties and interest for failure to pay. It's smart to file even if you can't pay, and pay even if you get an extension to file.

Individuals who put up a displaced person at their residence for at least 60 consecutive days can get an added exemption of $500 per person.