“Hey, at least you’re not a tax professional” by Pamela Francis

Being a mom used to be tantamount to one of those jobs where you have to be right all the time.  Remember those types of jobs…?  You know, like a nightly news anchor, or a train conductor, or… like… the Presidency…?

Don’t go there.

Oh the stress!  Oh the pressure of having to be right.  Because how can any self-respecting authority figure hold their head up high if they get a reputation for not knowing what the h, e, double hockey sticks they’re talking about more than 85% of the time?

Perfectionistas, you may relax.  We now know by all the heretofore unseen number of typos and misprints on everything from business copy, to storefront signage, to the crawl on CNN (GASP!) that the days of having to be right within your alleged expertise are dead and gone.  That is, unless you’re a Tax Professional.

I recently took on a new client at one of my businesses.  www.Adminonthego.weebly.com has H&R Block on its roster!  Mind you, I’m partial to Jackson Hewitt and have a special place in my heart for TurboTax, whom Jackson Hewitt referred me to years ago to save me $300 in processing fees!  How’s THAT for Customer Service!  But anyway, a few hours a week when I go in to service my newest client, I get to hear a bunch of numbers crunchers expound on “EIC” this and wax about “Schedule C” that.

Those guys and gals get really competitive about it, too!  Jane’s way is better than John’s way.  Bob knows more about this loophole than Betty does.  It’s quite amusing.  The thing I feel sorry for them about is (no, not the part where Jane gets to spend a third of the year in the Philippines, or how Betty hasn’t returned from her other home in Peru yet and it’s January 20th already); No, I feel bad at their need to be right all the time.  I see now why many of them spend half the year abroad.  Having to be right all the time can take a lot out of you.  When my kids are standing there demanding I come forth with my knowledge about a subject, I level the two most powerful words of our decade at them: “GOOGLE it”.

Sorrowfully, the same does not work for the Tax Professional.  Big money’s at stake, and blaming your bad spelling or poor data entry skills on the auto-correct feature on your smartphone just ain’t gonna cut it, partner.

; )

Tags: #having to be right all the time, #perfectionism, #tax season humor