Although it expects to report “significant net income” for both the final three months and the full year 2012, Fannie Mae announced late this week that it will delay its earnings release while the GSE’s accountants continue to crunch numbers to determine if the company should take a lucrative but complex tax deduction. In a form 12b-25 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fannie requested a filing extension beyond its March 18 deadline because it needs more time to analyze its deferred tax assets, which are unused credits and deductions that can be used to cover future tax bills.“The release of the valuation allowance would have a material impact on the company’s 2012 financial statements and result in a significant dividend payment to the U.S. Treasury,” noted Fannie in its SEC filing.