Tomorrow night at 11:59 is my last allowable e-file. We're almost there.

 

Is that 11:59 am or pm, Rob? I have dinner reservations at 6:30 and will be done long before that. (at least I better be)
A friend of mine who is a CPA sole practitioner, like I, never went home Tuesday night, just worked right into the next day. If I did that it would be a waste of time- I'd have to redo everything I did past midnight until I slept again.
I have an appointment Monday for my Seadoo to get tuned up and ready to hit the lake. I'm ready for a break.
My wife wants to go to Cabo San Lucas- anybody have hotels to recommend down there? We are looking at hotel/air deals on the net.

 

Rob, just saw the "night". Nevermind. I hope you can leave before midnight.

 

At midnight tomorrow, or perhaps 1 minute after, I intend to turn the computers off, lock the doors, take the top down and take the long way home.

It's time for a break.

Dean, I envy you. You have the perfect practice. I'd probably be just like your friend and work through the night if they'd let me. They make me go home at midnight.

 

It's quarter to five and all returns are filed or extended. Finished at 4 o'clock and took a trip to the post office to mail checks.
Rob, you'll love this- had a call from a client's banker about 3, says "well, I guess you are about finished with work....". I wanted to say what the f**K are you calling me on April 15th for, but I was nice and said I wasn't done and could he call me on Monday. What a shmuck.
I hope you have a good restful weekend. And I hope all you Vintagers got your returns filed and are planning on how to spend your refunds.
I'm outa here!

 

Best wishes, Morris, Rob! Go have a brew!

 

Gee, speaking of controversial. I guess if a "flat tax" was in place you guys would NOT be so stressed out?

 

Matt

It probably wouldn't make any difference.

 

How is it that over the last eight years or so, Money Magazine has created a ficticous family and supplied the same information each tax year to twenty-five CPA's and NOT ONCE have two every come up with the same answer as to how much they owe in taxes. I have not heard the statistics recently but if I remember correctly in tax year 2002 the CPA's had this "family" overpaying by as much as 94% and underpaying by as much as something like thirty percent!

Hmmm? Gee? Do you think that the tax code is just a "LITTLE" too complicated that twenty-five CPA's can not come up with the same answer after being supplied with the same information?

FLAT TAX! No loop holes, everyone pays their "fair share"!

17% of $20,000 = $3,400
17% of $100,000 = $17,000
17% of $250,000 = $42,500
17% of $500,000 = $85,000
Etc, etc

No more loop holes for the wealthy that can afford to pay tax attorneys to hide their assets off shore or the Leona Hemlesey's of the world that state: "That only little people pay taxes". It is common knowledge that the middle class bears the brunt of the tax burden. Is that fair?? .................................?

 

Matt,

Calm down. Most of us CPAs, myself included, think that the tax code is far too complicated. Very few of us would argue with that.

The flat tax seems like a more simple system on the surface, but, as always, the problems begin when we start to try to define what income and deductions are. It is one thing to say that at a certain level of income, the tax is a certain percent. That isn't the problem, even under the current system. The problem is determining that level of income.

As long as there exists special interests, political agendas, and social reform, there will always be a need to define income and deductions. That is where the complications come from, regardless of the tax system used.

If you have a problem with anyone, it is with the lawmakers not the CPAs. The lawmakers create the code, we just try to interpret it.