the buzz log

As tax day approaches, dutiful citizens are turning to the Web for assistance. Searches are soaring on forms, laws, and (of course) extensions. Queries on "irs" rank among our top 100 terms (move over Paris Hilton), and computer programs like "turbotax" and "taxcut" are climbing ever higher.

While just about every American has to file a return, searches show west coasters are more diligent in their research. The San Francisco Bay Area ranks first in searches on "taxes," followed by Phoenix, San Diego, Sacramento, and Portland. We were also surprised to see that over 2% of searches come from kids 13 and under. Either child labor laws aren't as tough as we thought, or there are a lot of aspiring accountants out there.

In the end, when it comes to paying taxes, folks mostly just want to know how to minimize the bloodshed. The best (legal) way to do that is through deductions. Below, we've listed the top searches on the subject. Hopefully at least one or two are legit...