BANKING: The introduction of the euro will change the face of banking services in many ways.

From now on it will not be necessary to go the foreign exchange desk before visiting another euro-zone country. Irish travellers will have the novelty of spending the same notes and coins in any of the other 11 euro states.

It could be a tough year ahead for tax dodgers. On November 15th, the deadline for voluntary settlements passed for holders of bogus non-resident accounts. The Revenue Commissioners is now engaged in rigorous trawling of the accounts whose owners did not settle.

An estimated 25,000 to 50,000 people held accounts that illegally stated that they were not resident in the State.

This enabled them to avoid payment of DIRT, a tax introduced in 1983 on the interest earned by money held in deposit accounts.

Those who ignored the voluntary settlement deadline may face legal action, fines or even imprisonment when the Revenue catches up with them.

The year ahead will also see banking services being offered in post offices for the first time. From next July, AIB customers will have access to 1,000 An Post outlets for cash lodgements and withdrawals from their accounts. The alliance means the number of outlets handling basic over-the-counter transactions for AIB customers will increase to 1,280.

Personal customers will be able to make cash lodgements using Banklink cards and PIN validation or pre-printed lodgement forms.

They will also be able to make cash withdrawals in post offices using an ATM card.

Suggested New Year's resolution: sign up for telephone and internet banking to save time and keep track of your finances.

These 24-hour services allow you to carry out the basic banking housekeeping without visiting a branch.

Services include bill payment, credit transfers, cheque tracking and balance queries.