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Townhall...
Tax-Time Miseries
By Tom Purcell
Boy, are accountants going through a rough patch now -- even rougher
than we taxpayers are.
Despite software that has greatly simplified tax preparation, American
accountants suffer a host of daily aggravations.
They’re responsible for filing on behalf of some 82 million U.S.
taxpayers and for understanding the U.S. tax code’s 5,600
incomprehensible pages, according to AccountingToday.com.
No wonder, then, that the American accountant suffers “a poor work/life
balance, botched sleep schedules, poor eating habits, and problems in
personal relationships.”
One survey found 64 percent complain that their clients, far more
confused by the tax code than they, are careless or unprepared.
I hope our accountants can forgive us.
The same survey says our emotions get in the way of organizing our tax
information in a timely manner:
“Procrastination (45 percent) is one of the biggest challenges for
those who haven’t filed in a suitable timeline by this time of year.
“Others blame nervousness about filing taxes correctly (28 percent),
confusion and the process (26 percent), laziness (23 percent), and lack
of organization (20 percent).”
I could toss in extended happy hours, but I don’t believe that was on
the list.
The survey describes other things agitating accountants.
Thirty-six percent complain about the need to resolve complex tax
situations, twenty-three percent about “aggressive clients” -- who
probably want to know why they owe so much after spending hours
organizing business expenses and deductions.
And client deductions are a sizable source of grief.
AccountingToday.com cites one client who tried to depreciate his cows.
Another tried to deduct the costs of raising a cat. A third tried to
deduct his hot tub for medical purposes.
Read the rest of the article at Townhall
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