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Tax season orphan
Nise's Notes
by Denise Schoppe
The Marlin Demorat
April 13, 2005
For the last ten years, I've had my own title from January through April 15. There are football widows. There are armchair quarterbacks. I'm a tax season orphan.
My parents own a bookkeeping and tax service, and it is in the first four months of the year that they make a majority of their living.
In a short time span, Dad does over 300 tax returns of various levels of difficulty. Mom helps him handle the returns, and keeps the bookkeeping side of the business alive. It's a lot to handle day in and day out.
For several years, I worked right along side of them in an attempt to help copy returns or just handle everyday business dealings. Nonetheless, their long hours gave me reason to give myself the title of tax season orphan, even in those years that I worked with them.
I honestly don't know how they do it. Even though I'm right there to witness their commitment to doing the job, it amazes me that they do all that they do.
Dad regularly rises to start his day around 2:00 or 3:00 am. (Which is usually about the time I'm going to bed.) He spends those early morning hours in front of the computer, trying to do as many returns in the quiet of the night as possible. No phone will ring and interrupt his concentration. No one will be approaching his desk to ask a question. My cat won't even be underfoot. During the day he alternates between closing himself away from everyone to continue doing returns, and meeting with clients to discuss their work.
Mom runs the bookkeeping side of the business, and she meets with many of the clients herself. Many people demand to see Dad to discuss their return, but most often they end up seeing Mom and having to just leave the questions for him to follow up on later. If he were to meet with everyone individually, he'd never get anything done.
The front door of the business is constantly swinging open, as returns come in and out of the office. There are the simple returns that have only a W-2. There are those that are more complicated, as stocks come into the mix. Profit, loss, and corporations. Partnership returns never failed to confuse me when I worked for my parents.
I learned a lot working for my parents in their office. I'm not afraid of the IRS, and I've in the past found myself sitting across the table from an agent arguing over a friends tax history. I may not be able to answer someone's tax question, but I can understand what they are asking.
I also understand the importance of our tax system. I may not like or agree with some of the tax rules, but I understand why we have it. I have a healthy respect for it.
I may be a tax season orphan, but I also consider myself a tax season graduate. I've garnered a lot of knowledge from my parents through the years, and I have a lot of respect for what they do. They take pride in their work, and, while mistakes do happen from time to time, they are careful to give every return its own personal attention.
Come April 15, we're all going to be celebrating. While many taxpayers will be fighting to make it to the post off by midnight, we'll all be kicked back relaxing celebrating the end of yet another successful season.
Nise's Notes
by Denise Schoppe
The Marlin Demorat
April 13, 2005
For the last ten years, I've had my own title from January through April 15. There are football widows. There are armchair quarterbacks. I'm a tax season orphan.
My parents own a bookkeeping and tax service, and it is in the first four months of the year that they make a majority of their living.
In a short time span, Dad does over 300 tax returns of various levels of difficulty. Mom helps him handle the returns, and keeps the bookkeeping side of the business alive. It's a lot to handle day in and day out.
For several years, I worked right along side of them in an attempt to help copy returns or just handle everyday business dealings. Nonetheless, their long hours gave me reason to give myself the title of tax season orphan, even in those years that I worked with them.
I honestly don't know how they do it. Even though I'm right there to witness their commitment to doing the job, it amazes me that they do all that they do.
Dad regularly rises to start his day around 2:00 or 3:00 am. (Which is usually about the time I'm going to bed.) He spends those early morning hours in front of the computer, trying to do as many returns in the quiet of the night as possible. No phone will ring and interrupt his concentration. No one will be approaching his desk to ask a question. My cat won't even be underfoot. During the day he alternates between closing himself away from everyone to continue doing returns, and meeting with clients to discuss their work.
Mom runs the bookkeeping side of the business, and she meets with many of the clients herself. Many people demand to see Dad to discuss their return, but most often they end up seeing Mom and having to just leave the questions for him to follow up on later. If he were to meet with everyone individually, he'd never get anything done.
The front door of the business is constantly swinging open, as returns come in and out of the office. There are the simple returns that have only a W-2. There are those that are more complicated, as stocks come into the mix. Profit, loss, and corporations. Partnership returns never failed to confuse me when I worked for my parents.
I learned a lot working for my parents in their office. I'm not afraid of the IRS, and I've in the past found myself sitting across the table from an agent arguing over a friends tax history. I may not be able to answer someone's tax question, but I can understand what they are asking.
I also understand the importance of our tax system. I may not like or agree with some of the tax rules, but I understand why we have it. I have a healthy respect for it.
I may be a tax season orphan, but I also consider myself a tax season graduate. I've garnered a lot of knowledge from my parents through the years, and I have a lot of respect for what they do. They take pride in their work, and, while mistakes do happen from time to time, they are careful to give every return its own personal attention.
Come April 15, we're all going to be celebrating. While many taxpayers will be fighting to make it to the post off by midnight, we'll all be kicked back relaxing celebrating the end of yet another successful season.
