The way the economy is now, it's probably maddening for most of you to think that someone could make $1.6 million in a calendar year and be BROKE.  But according to the HuffintonPost.com, that's what LINDSAY LOHAN made in 2012.  They counted up her major paychecks this year, and they include:

$1 million to pose for "Playboy" . . . $200,000 for her brief appearance in "Scary Movie 5" . . . $300,000 for the Lifetime movie "Liz & Dick" . . . $6,480 to star in that indie flick "The Canyons" . . . and that $100,000 loan from CHARLIE SHEEN.

Add those up and it comes to a little more than $1.6 million.  But they also added up the DEBT Lindsay racked up this year.  It includes $234,000 in unpaid taxes from 2009 and 2010 . . . $96,000 in yearly rent for her mansion . . . $144,000 in yearly rent on that storage locker she can't afford to pay for anymore . . . And then there was that $40,000 she loaned to her mother so she wouldn't lose her house. 

All told, that's $514,000.  Which means that Lindsay ends the year UP almost $1.1 million.  Even if you subtract for taxes, assuming Lindsay is paying those now, that's more than HALF A MILLION BUCKS.  Where did it go???  Obviously, we can't answer that.  But a good chunk of it may have gone to LEGAL FEES.  The Huffington Post estimates her legal bill this year may have been AT LEAST $250,000.