The magnitude of the recession was underscored by the latest numbers from the U.S. Treasury: last month’s individual income tax receipts dropped 44% and corporate tax revenue plunged 65% compared to April 2008. Alarming news, as April is historically the biggest collection month of the year and usually results in a sizable budget surplus for the month.

As Casey Research Chief Economist Bud Conrad correctly predicted back in January, the initial $1.2 trillion deficit for 2009 was grossly underestimated. The Congressional Budget Office estimate is not only riddled with low-ball expenditure figures and accounting trickery, it also failed to anticipate a precipitous collapse in tax revenues.

So where does that leave the CBO budget? And more importantly, what are the implications of this trend on your immediate investment future?