Confessions of a Tax Accountant

How much money you have or don't have hasof them and you can even see what they think of
everything to do with your relationship with money.themselves by how they plan for the future.
Thank goodness, that is NOT what this article is about,You can see if they gave more energy to their
or is it?Employer (Form 2106) then their Employer gave to
What I do understand from my experience as a Taxthem. You can see their goals through their continuing
Accountant, is this: Tax clients who did not have a loteducation deductions and their investment patterns,
of income 5 years ago and are now reporting welland you can even see some of their gambling habits
over six figures to IRS, have one thing in common.based upon their winnings. You can even see if they
They ALL found jobs, or started businesses or workhave shared their wealth with those less fortunate.
as freelancers, in products or services that theyEach tax return tells a story.
LOVE.And at the same time, a truthful tax return helps to
OK, maybe you should re-read the previous sentence.clean up and clear up a person's life. What they have
As one client put it, "You will know it when you find it,done or not done is all in black in white. And as daddy
because, you will wake up to do what you love, youuse to say, "Numbers don't lie"
will go to sleep late, because you are doing what youTax Professionals who understand this, usually will help
love"their tax clients to plan for the future. Tax planning for
The emotion of love, for what you love to do; willthe sake of reducing taxes is good, but Tax planning
develop "passion" Others will not only see this love, butfor the sake of building a future is GREAT.
will feel the passion that it generates. This willA good Tax Accountant can lead you through the
automatically create clients and customers once theymaze of paperwork, but there is one thing we cannot
know about you.do, and that is find out what YOU Love to do?
For example: I love to do taxes; not because I likeThis you have to do on your own. However, I can tell
taxes; I really hate all the new tax laws each year;you, once a person "knows" what he/she loves, there
from year to year its hard to remember all those lawsis no stopping them.
so I stopped trying, now the computer remembers.The bottom line is many people have not filed their
What I love to do is, create a numerical picture for aback taxes because there was emotional pain or
taxpayer based upon the facts/numbers that theyeven illness in the year for which the taxes have not
provide to me.been filed.
After you complete a tax return, you can help theGet over the emotional pain and file the taxes. Once
client to see his history for that year. You know howthe taxes are completed, you will see the big picture,
many children they are concerned about, how soonand you will realize, the fact that you are still living,
those children might be going to college, you may bebreathing and know your ABC's, means everything is
able to see that they purchased more house then theygoing to be alright.
should have? You can see what their Employer thinks