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Art of Accounting: La vie continues

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Tax season is over and life goes on.

Many accountants have just completed their “second” tax season finalizing the extended returns. But it was done with less staff availability and overtime hours. Except for sighs of relief, I don’t know too many happy campers right now. And suggestions about what you should have done or should do next year will likely fall on deaf ears, so here are some other tips.

1. If you haven’t scheduled a vacation, set it up now.

2. Old news from me, but stop working on Fridays. Arrange your schedule to include a three-day weekend, even if it means some longer Mondays through Thursdays.

3. Get your bride a big bouquet of flowers, or your groom a nice plant or little gift to show appreciation.

4. Start reading a mindless novel. If you want, I could give you many suggestions.

5. Get your kids the gift they want for Christmas (or Hanukkah), now.

6. Throw away the pile of accumulated magazines and newspapers you put aside because you didn’t have time to get to them.

7. Start going to the gym again.

8. Say thanks by giving each staff person a few hundred dollar cash gift or gift card.

9. Write an extra check to charity.

10. Call your aunt, or your mother, or someone whose day would be brightened by the call.

Another suggestion is to reread the list and do some of them—or all of them. What the heck—you’ve earned it.

Edward Mendlowitz, CPA, is partner at WithumSmith+Brown, PC, CPAs. He is on the Accounting Today Top 100 Influential People List. He is the author of 24 books, including “How to Review Tax Returns,” co-written with Andrew D. Mendlowitz, and “Managing Your Tax Season, Third Edition.” Ed also writes a twice-a-week blog addressing issues that clients have at www.partners-network.com. Ed is an adjunct professor in the MBA program at Fairleigh Dickinson University teaching end user applications of financial statements. Art of Accounting is a continuing series where Ed shares autobiographical experiences with tips that he hopes can be adopted by his colleagues. Ed welcomes practice management questions and can be reached at (732) 964-9329 or emendlowitz@withum.com.

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Tax season Work-life balance Tax practice Ed Mendlowitz
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