While you're working on your return -- and you are working on your 1040 this weekend, right? -- here's an interesting noncompliance tidbit.

Nearly half a million current and former U.S. federal employees have not filed tax returns. Collectively, they owe almost $3 billion.

Britannica Blog (and thanks to Tom Panelas for pointing out the item) elaborates: "Although I cannot confirm this, I have noticed that PEN (Postal Employee Network) has given the report credence at its website, quoting that 'The federal agency with the highest number of delinquent taxpayers is the United States Postal Service, where 56,652 employees owe more than $320 million.'"

Well, here's confirmation from WTOP, the all-news radio station in Washington, D.C.:

More than 450,000 active and retired federal employees did not voluntarily comply with federal income tax requirements for the 2005 tax year, according to documents obtained by WTOP through the Freedom of Information Act.

Precise balance due: $2,799,950,165.

WTOP also reports that every federal agency has employees who failed to comply with federal tax laws. Even 71 workers in the Executive Office of the President, which includes the White House, owe 2005 taxes totaling $664,527.

So Uncle Sam's message, at least in this instance, is do as I say, not as some of my employees do.