August 15 . . . What to Do?

From the Aug. 2006 Issue

It’s been a couple of years now, but August 15 used to be another one of those hectic days on the tax professional’s calendar. It was never as harrying as the Ides of April, but has generally been a close second along with October 15. But since the IRS began granting automatic six-month extensions to individual filings as opposed to the former four-month ones, now there’s almost nothing to do on that formerly fateful day in August. Okay, it certainly hasn’t relieved ALL of the workload of a tax or accounting professional, but it has provided temporary relief.

So do something with this day that the IRS has given you! Recognize the Accounting & Tax Professionals’ Day Out by taking the day off and spending time with your family, friends and/or fishing/golf buddy. Call it whatever your want — “playing hooky” or a “mental health day” — but get out of the office on this Tuesday near the end of summer. Sleep in, go for a drive, take in a baseball game with your son or daughter, try hang gliding, go to Philly for a real Philly cheese steak with lots of onions! Turn off your cell phone (it’s okay, we give you permission). Leave your laptop at home. Be free! And then go back to work the next day refreshed and prepared for the client issues at hand.