Don't Mess With Taxes

Crayons aren't just for kids any more. Adult coloring books abound, including one created just for accountants.

With Tax Day 2017 just days away, perhaps no one is feeling the pressure more than tax professionals.

Tax preparers, for the second consecutive filing season, are dealing not only with the regular rush of taxes, but also with new COVID-19 pandemic prompted laws. Multiply that by how many clients they have, add what's happening in their (and their clients') lives, and the solution equals, among other things, stress that's off the charts.

Helpful timeouts: While it might seem counter intuitive to those doing feeling more swamped by tax tasks every day (hour, minute), it might help to slow down.

After all, May is Mental Health Month, an irony not lost on all the tax pros who weren't able to convince the Internal Revenue Service to push the May 17 filing deadline back at least until the next regular tax deadline day of June 15.

FloQast, a Los Angeles-based accounting workflow automation company, has some suggestions on just how to take a brief break in these hectic final days (hours, minutes) of filing season 2021.

It suggests the 12-minute guided meditation video shown below. Surely you can take a 12-minute break during the day. Remember, there always are extensions.

Get colorful: Or, and this is my favorite option, you can download what FloQast has dubbed The World's Greatest Accounting Coloring Book (That you never knew you needed).

The 13-page PDF document has some fun images for you to brighten up with your colored pencils or markers or the crayons you borrowed from your youngsters' box.

The coloring book's drawings depict a variety of, again quoting FloQast, "famous moments in accounting history, some wins all accounting teams can hope for, and a lot of the absurdity in the accounting world."

My favorite scenes awaiting a splash or more of color are about some of the world's most popular entertainers whose first jobs were, you guessed it, accountants. Hint: Maybe some of us can get some satisfaction.

Take care of yourself first: I know everyone, from folks working on their taxes themselves to journalists like me writing about tax topics to the tax professionals doing their best to file hundreds (or more) of returns while fending off hovering (or worse) clients are crunched right now.

But do take a break now and then, even in this hectic time.  It definitely will help your outlook, as well as your actual work when you return to the 1040s.

Best of all, unlike taxes, you won't be penalized for coloring outside the lines!

You also might find these items of interest:

• Canadian gold medalist trading skis for accounting ledgers
• Accountant temporarily trades financial focus for NHL saves
• 'Love & Taxes' funny on screen, but not filing in real life is no laughing matter

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