During our weekly staff meetings, we at Bourke Accounting are allowed to express ourselves. Whether it’s a suggestion for a new type of file folder or an elaborate concept for marketing, we are able to speak freely without fear of ridicule. It’s nice to bounce infant ideas off of others and examine them from a different perspective; when you know that an idea will be met with serious consideration rather than derision, you are, obviously, more likely to share with the group.
However, not all personal dynamics are as equitable – and some are downright toxic. For example, right now someone (probably multiple someones) is suffering as a victim of perverse communication. Self-esteem is being quietly eroded, anxiety levels are inching ever higher and, quite possibly, a slight sense of dread colors everything in this poor soul’s life. The most insidious attribute of perverse communication is that it’s subtle; it’s so subtle that the victim might not recognize that it’s even happening.
It’s likely that you, yourself, have experienced perverse communication. No, this doesn’t mean that you’ve been bombarded with obscene language or suggestions. An example of perverse communication goes like this: while at work, you mention that you baked a cake. Before anyone can ask what kind you baked, a co-worker quips that it’s a wonder that you didn’t burn your house down. Everyone else – yourself included – laughs lightly (this isn’t comedy gold, but everyone is polite) and you go about your day. However, in the middle of the night, you find yourself returning to the exchange. This is not the first time that this person disparaged your abilities. You tell yourself that it doesn’t matter and no real insult was intended. Perhaps you even fantasize about the clever come back you should have responded with. By the time you fall back to sleep, you feel just a little less capable and vaguely foolish.
ExploringYourMind.com defines perverse communication as “psychological torture towards a peer” that generally occurs in front of an audience. Mild insults disguised as “just a joke” work to elevate the speaker while softly crushing the victim. In short, this is the arena of high school bullies and “frenemies.” At first, the victim might chalk the understated abuse as the perpetrator having a bad day. As it continues, the victim wonders if s/he did something to offend the culprit. Finally, the target might come to believe that the slander is based in truth.
Before deciding on how to stop this muted evisceration, victims must first acknowledge their own responsibility. When you use self-deprecating humor or put yourself down, you must understand that you are inadvertently giving others a free pass to do the same. After all, we teach others how to treat us.
Once you have determined that this aggression will not stand, it’s time to pick a course of action. Ignoring the situation won’t work. If you tell yourself that snide comments don’t bother you, you are lying; even if you don’t respect your tormentor, no one likes hurtful words. Escalating the issue is an option. If someone insults your cooking skills, you can easily mention their new and contentious divorce! If this interaction follows the logical trajectory, both you and your opponent will be in a holding cell by nightfall. To avoid court fees, you can always try talking to the person. Without an audience and in a firm way, tell the person that you do not appreciate the shoddy treatment you have been receiving. If this doesn’t work, the only option left is to completely separate yourself from the other person. It might not be easy, but it would be worth it for your mental wellbeing.
Bullies are not happy people. We must pity those who can only find peace when kicking someone else. While it’s hard to feel sympathy when being kicked, remember that you are the bigger person and you are important.
Bourke Accounting doesn’t practice perverse communication. Bourke Accounting experts care about your mental health as much as they care about your finances. If you are guilty of an expensive blunder, Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers will help you get through it, not waste time insulting you. Bourke Accounting pros are too classy and happy to bully.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
It’s not easy to forget to do your taxes when you work for tax preparers like the ones you’ll find at Bourke Accounting. Between getting your W2 placed right in your hand, mailing out tax organizers and talking about nothing but taxes all day, you would have to deliberately will yourself to neglect your own return. Since Bourke employees don’t wantonly neglect things, we weren’t surprised when we received our stimulus cash.
When the new $900 billion pandemic relief bill was finally passed in late December, struggling Americans exhaled in relief. Up until the last minute, we weren’t sure if any money was going to hit our accounts; while $600 wasn’t the $2,000 amount that had long been rumored, at least it was something. As of right now, though, it would appear that some Americans won’t even be receiving that truncated sum.
During the first round of stimulus payments, it seemed like the Internal Revenue Service had all the time in the world to get the checks out. If a check went to a closed bank account or old address, there was a way to update your information on the IRS’ website and, eventually, the money went to the right place. Now, however, the IRS has decided that you can’t make these changes on their site. And this isn’t the only noticeable difference this time around.
One change is that the IRS has a deadline of January 15th to get checks out. It won’t be like the first time with wiggle room included. If the IRS doesn’t get your check out by the 15th, you won’t be receiving it (CNet.com). This is not to say that you’ll be left totally high and dry, however. If you don’t see that check in your bank account, you can still claim it on your 2020 return with the Recovery Rebate Credit (CNet.com). In addition, if there was a problem with your first payment, you can claim that, as well. This credit, which increases the amount of your refund or lowers the amount you owe (IRS.gov) isn’t as satisfying as receiving a check out of nowhere, but it’s helpful.
Another change is one that will affect those who aren’t required to file a tax return. During the first round of payments, if you didn’t have to file, the IRS’ website offered a way in which non-filers could enter their information and receive their checks. This time, just for kicks, the IRS isn’t bringing the non-filer tool back (Kiplinger.com). This might be because of the deadline, this might be because of spite – either way, filing a 2020 return would be the only way to receive credit if you didn’t submit your information as a non-filer for the last stimulus payment.
Also, the income threshold for this payment has been lowered. For example, for the first round, the phaseout amount for a single filer was $99,000. This time if you earn over $87,000 and file as single, you won’t get jack (CBSNews.com). This is sort of understandable as, let’s face it, we’re hemorrhaging money over here and hard choices have to be made. Of course, if you lost your job in November of ’20, you’re probably not thrilled to take one for the team.
In a shady move that really doesn’t make sense has to do with taxpayers who owe child support. For the first check, those who owed support had their check garnished to cover the past due amounts. However, people who owe will now be receiving their entire second stimulus payment (CNet.com). We can only hope these forgetful parents will send the money for their child’s upkeep, but we wouldn’t suggest any wronged exes to hold their breath.
If you’ve been out of work for a while, $600 doesn’t seem like it could change your life. However, your Bourke Accounting expert is patiently waiting to offer guidance that could. Whether it’s making sure you receive your rebate credit or giving concrete advice during these tumultuous times, Bourke Accounting pros don’t neglect details that could benefit you right now.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
We love you. You’re very special. – A Soon-to-be-Indicted President to violent Capitol rioters
When the sun rose on Thursday morning, it brought dread with it; like murder victims splayed on autopsy tables, fear and uncertainty have been exposed in the light of a new day. Will today bring another bombing? Will unhinged masses again attempt to circumvent a lawful election? Will we ever be united again?
Like you, we at Bourke Accounting watched the news in stunned silence on Wednesday. It was inconceivable that what we were seeing was truly happening in Washington, DC. It was inconceivable that, when America’s Impotent Despot encouraged his repulsive hoard to descend on The Capitol building, they actually did it. Perhaps most disturbing of all is that the last time the Capitol was stormed in such a way was by the British in 1814 – and this week saw American citizens turn on their country.
Much like QAnon conspiracy theories, this siege made no sense. After numerous unsubstantiated allegations and dismissed lawsuits, the Despot’s henchman simply refuse to gracefully acknowledge election defeat and start planning a failure in 2024. Because they were incapable of calmly and legally protesting, we are now left with 2 pipe bombs, 4 ended lives, 52 arrests and countless injuries. Oh, and the fear. Don’t forget the fear.
While there’s no percentage in trying to assign meaning to the nonsensical, we can’t help but wonder what these people were trying to accomplish. Did they assume that the Supreme Court would see the Confederate flags and white supremacist tattoos and say, “Oh! You changed our minds! The Democrats stole the election and we’re giving That Poisonous Toad another four years!” No, the only logical motivation of these cretins was to instill terror. By tearing their way into a Federal building, they were exhibiting their belief that this country belongs to the violent. Judging by the demographics of the “protest,” perhaps we should amend that to the “violent white men.”
The difference in which police brutality protesters were handled compared to these rioters is also unsettling. When That Poisonous Toad wanted to pose with a Bible, federal police thought nothing of tear-gassing and manhandling peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square. However, the DC rioters were treated so gently that they were able to “overrun Capitol police and infiltrate the country’s legislative chambers” (CNN.com). There is no explanation that could explain this disparity.
The final insult is that the rioters believe that That Poisonous Toad is on their side, fighting for justice for them. The rioters will fail to see that their leader knowingly sent them into a potentially dangerous situation. Storming the Capitol is not exactly like jaywalking. Even though law enforcement went somewhat easy on the rioters, they opened themselves to a myriad of federal charges. The Poisonous Toad thinks so highly of his creatures that he’s willing to use their blood to drown his enemies.
This never should have happened. Protesting is commendable, running riot because you didn’t get your way is not. Our country is destroying itself while That Poisonous Toad laughs. And don’t misunderstand, he’s laughing at all of us.
You probably don’t want to think about taxes right now. That’s all right, Bourke Accounting will think about them for you. Everyone grieves in their own way and, lucky for you, the preferred method of mourning at Bourke Accounting is working through the pain. Meet with your Bourke Accounting pro and come out of the storm for a little while.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Although the holiday season is over, you may find that you’re still receiving gifts from friends and acquaintances. It’s nice to be surprised on a dismal Tuesday, after the holiday hype, with a giftbag vomiting sparkly tissue paper. In fact, here at Bourke Accounting, we just received a box of chocolate-covered Oreos from a vendor; gluttony is generally looked down upon, but I am (shamelessly) engaging in it at the moment.
Anytime someone thinks of you – and spends their time and money – the gesture should be met with nothing but gratitude. However, sometimes the gift-giver doesn’t really know you and the gift reflects that. Even though you might not even want the gift, you obviously can’t throw it back with a gruff, “Do better next year.” So, while keeping your manners firmly in place, what should you do if you’ve received an unwanted present? As Bourke Accounting likes to keep up on etiquette, here are a few options for the unwanted/unneeded gift recipient:
- Donate it. Although we live in a society that loves the disposable, that doesn’t mean wanton waste should be condoned. Even if you received a sweater that makes you look like you’re suffering from jaundice, remember that it won’t look the same on everyone. When you receive an item that could benefit someone else, it’s petty to simply dump it in the trash and forget you ever saw it. Driving to your local donation center takes more effort than ditching the thing, but if you can do some good, it’s worth it.
- Thank the giver profusely and stuff the item in a neglected corner of your home. Mel Magazine suggests that, if you are constantly receiving “horrible” gifts from a friend, you should take steps to make sure it stops. Mel advises that you send your friend links to things you do want, drop hints or even post wistful photos of your heart’s desire on social media (Issue 38). Don’t do this. You will come across as an entitled beggar, convinced that everyone around you is just clamoring to know what to lavish upon you. If you don’t feel comfortable admitting that you don’t like the contributions, suggest to your friend that you both donate to a common cause in each other’s names. You’ll look like a nice person and your gifted taxidermy squirrel collection will finally stop growing!
- Learn to love your taxidermy squirrel collection and display it proudly. While communicating your displeasure is the adult course of action, someone is going to end up with hurt feelings. No matter how gently you pose your position, the other person is only going to hear: YOUR TASTE IS TERRIBLE. Mel Magazine suggests re-gifting as an alternative while warning against re-gifting amongst your social circle. This practice is just too risky – you don’t know everyone your circle knows and embarrassing situations could arise. As far as Bourke knows, there is no way to innocently (and believably) defend against a re-gifting accusation, so just don’t do it.
Getting gifts is fun. Even getting “bad” gifts is fun. The main thing to remember after receiving an inappropriate present is that it’s not important. If you find yourself disappointed with your holiday season haul, buy yourself the present Santa neglected. It should be celebrated that someone thought to get you anything at all, ugly, useless or otherwise.
Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers are givers. While your Bourke pro might not give you a new car, their expertise might make it possible for you to buy your own. Besides knowing what they’re doing, Bourke Accounting representatives love giving their advice and making sure you understand every step of your financial journey.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
It’s a new year, a clean slate and there are nothing but possibilities on the horizon! Over here at Bourke Accounting, we’re hard at work preparing for tax season and looking forward to the wild slide to April 15th. Although we were very lucky to have weathered the lockdown, we know that not everyone out there has been as lucky. The sad truth is that a lot of people will be starting 2021 unemployed.
For example, Yelp reported that 163,735 of the businesses listed on their site that were open in April had closed by September 2020; that sobering number averages out to more than 800 closures per day (King5.com). Closer to home, more than 40 bars and restaurants have closed permanently in Louisville as of the beginning of December (BizJournals.com). While change is good for the soul, repossessed cars are not. With the pandemic still raging and unemployment benefits flickering, many have been forced to pound the pavement in search of brand-new jobs.
Is there anything worse than the job-hunting process? Fine-tuning a resume, endless applications and job sites and then, perhaps the worst part, the interviews. Oh, yes, grinning like a deranged June Cleaver, feigning excitement over the less-than-ideal payrate/hours/job, waiting for a response…job-hunting is excruciating.
Not to be more of a Debbie Downer than necessary, but those are not the only terrors involved in replacing a lost job. Now, jobseekers must also be ever vigilant to protect themselves against scammers. Although moral-deficient, shady opportunists with have always walked among us, it is clear that they have kept up with technology and are now capable of doing more damage than ever before. So, if you’re among the temporarily work-less, please know that there are a few things to keep in mind.
Old cliched concepts are generally based in fact. For example, if something sounds too good to be true, we know that it’s time to get that guard up. This is obvious when looking for work. If you’re offered an at-home, part-time job at a high, full-time salary, you have to ask yourself why. No matter how special you are, ten pages of data entry doesn’t equal $800 per week. It’s important to be honest with yourself and question why a stranger is willing to pay way over the market rate.
Another thing to be wary of is any “recruiter” who asks for your bank information, credit report or social security number to complete the application process. Unless you are joining something like the military or an accounting firm (CreditCards.com), no one needs to see your credit report. In addition, until you’re hired and filling out direct deposit forms, no one (legitimate) needs your financial information.
And perhaps #1 of the Scammers’ Greatest Hits, right up there with the Nigerian Prince, is the entrepreneur who is out of the country and looking for a personal assistant. This guy will send you a check for your pay and various supplies. Oops, the check was accidently written for more than it should have been. You deposit it, buy the supplies, keep your pay and wire the extra back. Except the check will bounce, you will owe your bank and you just paid for a very expensive lesson.
If you’re looking for work right now, don’t let your eagerness to be productive put you in harm’s way. There is no such thing as easy, legal money and you might just fund a scammer’s new car if you let yourself believe that there is!
If you’ve fallen victim to a scam, it could take a while to get back on track. Bourke Accounting tax preparers and bookkeepers can offer advice on how to make your journey a little easier. As always, your Bourke Accounting expert will listen with a sympathetic ear and absolutely no judgement. At Bourke Accounting, your well-being and success are always the priorities.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Even before the pandemic, you wouldn’t have bumped into your friendly neighborhood Bourke Accounting expert in an underground dance club. Some Bourke workers were simply never interested in the light shows, the thundering bass or the questionable party favors. Other Bourke natives (like a certain gentleman accountant or a specific civilian writer) actually did spend nights in these dens of sins. However, jaded maturity is a real thing and now even these two Bourkers stay out of the clubs.
Even though we aren’t tumbling home in the early hours anymore, something occurred this weekend that brought back hazy memories: Michael Alig died. If you don’t know, Michael Alig was the Club Kid in the ‘90s. He was a club promoter for New York City’s Limelight and, in a nutshell, he was famous for partying. By 1996, he was also famous for killing someone.
Alig and Robert “Freeze” Riggs decided that instead of paying a drug debt to dealer Andre “Angel” Melendez, it was easier to kill him. The murder was grotesque, but what followed was worse and led to Alig’s continuing infamy. After Melendez’s slaughter, Alig and Riggs were either too stupid or too high to phone authorities. Instead, they left Melendez in the bathtub for days, only opening the door to spray Calvin Klein’s Eternity in the direction of the body. Alig and Riggs threw parties in the apartment and, when partygoers complained about the increasing smell, bad plumbing was blamed. Finally, Alig and Riggs dismembered the body, put it in a box and threw it in the Hudson River. The box floated away, as these club kids didn’t understand how buoyancy worked. Naturally, the duo told some people what they had done and Alig threw murder-themed parties that hinted at Melendez’s whereabouts.
After 17 years in prison, Alig was released. While many decried his freedom, a loyal and vocal population was all too happy to welcome the killer back into society. Alig returned to club promoting and even enjoyed selling his “art” at galleries (his stuff is a blatant Warhol rip-off) for thousands of dollars; Marilyn Manson – well-known for his class and creativity – owns two (AnimalNewYork.com).
Alig blamed his drug use for causing Melendez’s death and donated some of his earnings to anti-addiction groups. It’s rather ironic, then, that “heroin overdose” will be listed as his cause of death. And let’s not forget the poignant and touching articles that will come out, painting Alig as a “good guy” who should be forgiven for his “mistake.” Hey, Ted Bundy received love letters, too.
The glorification of murderers isn’t a pastime reserved only for “edgy,” has-been musicians, though. For example, That Guy Who’s Going to Have to be Dragged From The White House has also gotten into forgiving “good guys” who perhaps simply made a “mistake.” Recently, That Guy has pardoned a slew of liars, thieves and, now, killers. In 2007, The Blackwater Four killed 14 Iraqi civilians while working for security provider Blackwater because they “mistakenly believed that they were under attack” (BBC.com). Our own court system decided that these guards were guilty and punished them accordingly.
Why did That Guy pardon the four? Is it an attempt to mobilize his misguided base into storming a Biden-held White House? Perhaps he is trying for maximum damage before he’s flung, kicking and screaming, into irrelevancy. Or, much like other murder groupies, is he too stupid to understand that death isn’t sexy? Maybe the most chilling theory is the correct one: That Guy, no longer able to differentiate between reality television and real life, considers humans mere props on his darkening stage.
Human beings are important to Bourke Accounting professionals. At Bourke Accounting, no one is simply a number with a bank account. Bourke Accounting respects the specific needs and lives of every person who comes through the door. Human decency isn’t a commendable attribute. If you’re living remotely right, this stuff comes naturally.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Next week is the start of the new year. Besides unrepentantly neglected resolutions and hangovers, the new year is important for another reason. The beginning of the new year also means new client tax organizers! Bourke Accounting clients will be pleased to know that these organizational packets of bliss will be hitting their mailboxes soon! A tax organizer is more than a mere sheaf of carefully stapled paper; a tax organizer is an important tool that helps taxpayers to gather their thoughts and papers and to record changes that have occurred during the year. If we may be so bold, a tax organizer is a sheaf of carefully stapled potential.
When you receive this tax organizer, you most likely don’t think about how this fantastic instrument came to be. That’s fair. However, Bourke’s Executive Administrator, Phil, works hard at getting these things in your hands. As I have been tapped to assist, I say it’s time to raise a glass to the beautiful and meditative world of mundane tasks. Let’s face it, whether it’s carefully stapling or washing the dishes, life as we know it would crumble if not for these repetitive chores.
The most important thing about the “boring,” little chores is that they keep us humble. For example, one of our Bourke Bosses spent almost an entire day dismantling and packing up our holiday decorations. While he could have easily asked his faithful vassals to do the job, he didn’t. Does he have a fetish for winding tinsel into neat bundles? Perhaps, but that’s not the point. This dull and labor-intensive task also happened to be essential and management completed it alone. Even in this insane world, humility remains a virtue.
Another aspect of doing chores defined as drudgery is the opportunity for meditation. For instance, if you’ve ever had the opportunity to stuff and stamp 542 envelopes, you’ve experienced the inherent freedom involved. Stamping envelopes doesn’t require mental gymnastics or even much physicality. Because of this, your mind is off the leash while you are still being productive. This is the perfect time to examine your mind and your motivations. You are at liberty to daydream, to plan or to just exist.
These jobs, other than being necessary, also improve your habits and mind. Florida State University’s psychology department just released a study that shows that people who “mindfully” wash their dishes (yes, this is a thing) lowered their nervousness levels by 27 percent (RD.com). “Mindfully” washing dishes entails that you truly be in the moment: feeling the water temperature, smelling the soap, noticing the texture of the dishes. Observing every little detail sharpens your memory and invites you to really notice the world around you.
What other benefits does grunt work offer? According to The Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg, something as simple as making your bed every morning acts as a gateway habit that leads to the addition of other good habits. Duhigg notes that habitually making your bed is linked to “better productivity, a greater sense of well-being” and, bizarrely, improved budgeting skills (RD.com). Finally, we all know that moving around is much better for us than gently rotting in a Cheeto-dusted shirt, slack-jawed in front of the television.
So, the next time you have to pick up dog poop, don’t resent it – celebrate it! You might want to avoid “mindfully” experiencing the chore, but acknowledge your bending and stretching in the great big world. Also, congratulate yourself for being a good civilian and conscientious neighbor! See! Boring and mundane tasks make us better people!
Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers aren’t too good to slog through donkey work. At Bourke Accounting, our experts understand that the details are important, boring or not. Your Bourke pro is concerned not only with the big picture, but with all of the little moving parts, as well. As a Bourke client, you can trust that nothing is inconsequential.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Yet again, the holiday season is responsible for tension and social disagreement. As a personal aside, I have never been so insulted in my life! Yesterday, my co-workers decided that I am the official Bourke Accounting Scrooge in residence. Usually, Bourke workers get along like a Christmas tree a-fire, but this unwarranted designation will not stand, boy howdy. What caused this rift between formerly cordial colleagues? Did I kick a mall Santa? Did I tell a child that her Elf on the Shelf is working closely with the Illuminati to destroy the world? No, I am guilty of neither. However, I did voice my opinion on holiday newsletters.
At this very moment, there might be a holiday newsletter in your very own mailbox. Oh yes, it’s lurking in there, watching…waiting…waiting to assault you with pictures of the family you sort of remember living next door to four years ago (complete with matching outfits and impossible, face-splitting grins that paid for the orthodontist’s summer house). The well-edited pictures aren’t the most important aspect of this hellish holiday missive though, oh, no. It’s the newsletter! It’s the newsletter that will destroy any last vestige of holiday cheer you might have held in reserve.
The holiday newsletter is problematic for many reasons. Perhaps the biggest issue is that, if you are close to the featured family, you already know their news from the past year – which makes the letter a rerun. If you aren’t close, why would you care to read up on them? The holiday newsletter carries with it the egocentric assumption that you’ve been waiting, with bated breath, to know what’s going on with this family. There is an implied confidence that your season wouldn’t be completely complete without the knowledge that Lil Stevie made the honor roll – and this entitled confidence is irritating.
Another problem is that these letters are totally full of it. I once received one from an ex-friend who was going through a miserable divorce. From the letter, I realized that presentation is everything. Instead of mentioning that her husband was shacked up with a 20-year-old dancer, he was spending time to “find and learn about himself.” Her kid wasn’t failing out of school and getting familiar with law enforcement, she was “reevaluating mainstream education and going out of her comfort zone to meet new people.” The spin my ex-friend put on having her TV, along with her mother’s ashes, stolen by a Tinder date was epic…
Although we know that these letters put things in the best possible light, it doesn’t stop us from feeling envious. Just like social media can damage self-esteem, these letters can make us question our own existence. Since we’re, generally, not going on exotic trips or buying multiple high-priced items, we must be lacking in some way. Looking down at a ratty sweater covered in SpaghettiO stains, we can almost hear the letter’s chirpy, insanely self-satisfied voice condemning our life choices.
Well, I ask you all: who needs condemnation affixed to expensive stationery? Who needs to read false litanies of satisfaction? Not this one. No, never this one. Call me the Bourke Scrooge, my gentle co-workers, for it shall be a title I wear with honor as I’m throwing out my college roommate’s happy and desperate plea for attention.
Your second cousin twice removed might not care what you did this year, but your Bourke Accounting bookkeeper or tax preparer does! Even more important is that you don’t have to edit the icky stuff for your Bourke pro. Bad divorce taking you to the cleaners? Tell a Bourke expert! Had to cash out your 401(k) for an embarrassing medical procedure? Your Bourke Accounting rep is all ears and sympathy!
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
When I started at Bourke Accounting, one of my Bourke bosses told me about an incident that had occurred early in his career at his first job. It seems that a client said some pretty X-rated stuff to an administrative assistant. My Bourke boss was having none of it and “fired” that client on the spot with the words, “I have 500 clients, but only 1 assistant…get out.” Obviously, that sort of behavior has not been repeated by Bourke clients (we have the best patrons anywhere), but this situation brings to mind a few things that you, as clients, might want to remember this tax season.
Whether you’re an old hand at working with accountants or this is your first year using a professional, it is understood that none of us are perfect. So, to keep you happily satisfied – and to ensure your tax preparer’s sanity – we offer some advice from the trenches of accountingdom.
Last year, with the tax deadline extended for the pandemic, it seemed that tax season would never end. However, as of right now, the deadline for filing your 2020 return is the usual April 15th. What might not be so usual is your current circumstance; depending on how and where the virus hit you, your tax return might be a little different this year. For example, if you received unemployment benefits, you will need your Form 1099-G. In addition, if you received a loan from the Payroll Protection Program, you’ll need to know the exact amount received and what, if any, expenses are now deductible. See? As mentioned, things could get exotic.
While it’s never a good idea to procrastinate in your preparations, it’s especially important to get an early start this tax season. Besides potentially having to include unfamiliar documents, none of us can possibly know what other pitfalls might be around the corner. In a perfect world, providing your information at the last minute wouldn’t have any lasting repercussions. As we’ve lived through ’20, though, it’s safe to say that we’re not existing in that perfect world. Let’s say you give your stuff to your tax preparer on April 15th. Your pro (being a pro) stays late, finishes the return minutes before the deadline and hits “Submit” to efile your return. And the IRS server crashes. Or a watermain breaks in the office. Or any number of mad dog dumb possibilities become reality. Without being able to get to the post office, that return will be filed late. While this wouldn’t be the end of your financial world, it would be an extra headache that you just don’t need.
Another aspect to be mindful of is the importance of communication. Sometimes, an entire return can be delayed because of one tiny detail. If something is unclear or missing, your tax preparer is not going to take a guess, educated or otherwise. That being said, if you receive a voicemail or email from your expert, respond! Just as you are anxious to have your work completed, your preparer delights in nothing as much as a finished return. Your preparer won’t give up the quest for an answer, but it isn’t nice to ignore numerous telephone calls. Your hectic life can be made more tranquil with a 5-minute chat and a gratifying conclusion.
You can’t control that big world out there, but you can tend to your own backyard. In order to completely tuck 2020 into the recesses of your mind, let’s close the books on your tax return and move along.
Like you, Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers can’t wait to see the taillights of this past year heading off into the distance. Bourke Accounting is looking forward to a beneficial (and, hopefully, normal) tax season with you. Let’s work together to finish 2020 as quickly as possible – and never speak of it again.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Bourke Accounting does the holidays to the extreme for its employees. However, Bourke management really outdid themselves for us this year and we’re starting to understand why. At the beginning of our shared Covid odyssey, Bourke workers randomly spoke about holiday travel plans. Some lamented that their homes would be transformed into hostels for out-of-town relatives; some were working on the logistics of multiple family dinners. Little by little, though, holiday talk trailed off like an unfinished wish.
It seems that no one at Bourke Accounting will be playing “Masque of the Red Death” this holiday season. Personally, this will be the first Christmas in my life spent away from my family. Maybe Bourke management decided to burn us out with holiday cheer so that a quiet night at home will seem like a reprieve. Maybe they’re mourning their own devastated holiday plans with frantic gingerbread house building. Spending the holidays away from friends and family won’t be easy, but our sacrifice now will allow us to share many more special moments in the long run.
Although things may look different this year, that doesn’t mean the experience has to be painful; if you’re planning a bereft holiday season, it’s time to get creative and chase those opportunistic blues away:
- Initiate an outdoor decoration competition with your neighbors. Go all out with the lights and plastic reindeer to make your house rival the ending of a Hallmark made-for-TV movie. Join your neighbors for a socially distanced eggnog-fueled block party to announce the winner. Offer a useful prize such as weekly lawn-mowing for the entire summer. But what if you can’t get anyone to play with you? No problem! Simply pick a random house to be your nemesis and, when you quietly win, strut around with a false sense of accomplishment!
- Costumes! Allow no one to come to the table without a costume – the more elaborate, the better. Make it more interesting with the caveat that store-bought costumes will be automatically disqualified. You can make it theme-based, like dress as your favorite deceased celebrity, or take an “anything goes” approach. The winner gets the biggest crab claw (a lot of us have Alaskan king at Christmas!) or no dish duty for the next two weeks.
- Short stories. Grab a dictionary and gather everyone ‘round the table. Each person must choose a word at random and then write a story/essay based on that word. It doesn’t matter whether you can write or not because that’s not the point! The point is what you can do with the word Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism – word picking do-overs are not allowed. And, hey, you never know where this exercise can potentially lead. After all, if not for boredom on a rainy day in the country, Mary Shelley might never have written Frankenstein.
The best part of being human is that we are adaptable. While we might not like the current changes, if we arm ourselves with a little imagination, we can still make the best of things. Although it’s easy to allow despair to infect us, we must remember that there’s still good in our lives and world. It’s up to us to keep The Grinch out of our hearts and channel our inner Buddy the Elf for a great holiday.
If your holiday isn’t going to be how you originally planned, be of good cheer anyway: in just a few months, Bourke Accounting pros will be doing your tax returns! After witnessing the thorough and accurate work of Bourke Accounting experts, you’ll know that Santa really does grant requests. With their good nature and dedication to the customer, it’s Christmas all year ‘round at Bourke Accounting!
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.