I am one of the world's leading procrastinators. Last night I finished and hit "transmit" on my E-filed taxes at exactly 11:59 p.m. I had planned to do my taxes in February, of course, and then... all of the sudden it was April 15th, and it was nearly midnight. What some people do for an adrenaline rush, hmmm?

But in previous years I've done far worse. Last year I managed to get my Federal taxes to the post office by 11:56 p.m. on tax day... my Federal taxes for 2005. It wasn't until a few days later that I finished my Federal and state taxes for 2006, and my state taxes for 2005. So I know exactly what happens to a person who doesn't file her (or his) taxes on time.

Did you miss the deadline? Did you forget to file an extension, or just not get around to it? Are you, too, a tax delinquent? Firstly: take a deep breath. No one is going to throw you in prison for sending in your taxes a few days late. They won't even call or write, not for several months (and, if you haven't filed in previous years, they could never call or write, depending on whether or not you have had income reported to government agencies). If you manage to get them in a reasonable time frame (less than six months), you'll just be paying a small penalty and interest (if you owe taxes), as much as 4.5% and more if your taxes are more than 60 days late (at least $100, or a penalty equal to the whole amount you owe, whichever is smaller).

What if you're owed a refund?

We know the tax code is complex, and the zillions of available forms and schedules don't make things any less confusing. Doing a tax return by hand is almost impossible these days, unless you have a super simple tax situation.

Whether your tax return is easy or complicated, you'll probably have an easier time of it if you use tax software. There are great tax packages out there, including Turbo Tax and Tax Cut. They simplify the process of preparing a tax return because the software tells you what forms you need and offers them to you. No more searching the instructions or the IRS website for the forms you need. Tax software also helps cut down on errors by alerting you to important items that need to be included in your tax return.

If you're confident about your tax situation, you can certainly try using one tax software. However, filling out the software's questionnaire is no substitute for a tax preparer with in-depth knowledge of the tax laws. Use tax software with caution.

Read more Tips for Tax Procrastinators

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.