DALLAS — A lot of people look at their annual income tax refund as "bonus" money. But can you really afford to let the government keep that cash when you could use it now to help pay for gas?

You can stretch your dollar by cutting your tax refund and getting more money in your paycheck every week to ease that pinch at the pump.

The idea is to get your tax refund down close to zero; that way, you'll get your money back (in smaller increments) in your paychecks.

The Internal Revenue Service offers a great online calculator to help you determine the most cost-effective withholding rate.

You'll need to have two things handy: Your most recent pay stub and last year's tax return.

Accountant Michael Jackson checked the IRS site for us. "My conclusion is, it was 100 percent accurate," he said.

Jackson ran the numbers for a person making $23,000 a year and found that he could pocket about $45 to $50 every week, "Which is about a tank of gas in today's economy."

After determining your best withholding rate, you'll need to fill out a new W-4 form to present to your employer to adjust the amount of tax withheld from your paycheck.

Johnson says more and more of his clients are taking advantage of using their tax refunds now, and you can, too.

After all, it's your money — not Uncle Sam's.

E-mail dschechter@wfaa.com