Tax Season

[Bernie Weishapl]

Gloat I guess. I went the H & R Block and had my accountant there do my taxes for my clock business. I could do it but just don't have the time and expertise to feel comfortable about it especially with depreciation. Anyway she called and they were done today. Well the LOML whipped out her pen I turned for her and of course it was pink (she calls it hot pink) pen to sign the forms. The gal that does my books and taxes saw it so she asked my wife where she got it. She said oh Bernie turned it for me.

Anyway to make a long story short she wants 24 slimlines in H & R Block green for give away to their biggest customers and then she saw my Sierra pen so she wants 12 of those for the staff and her family. So I guess I had better go out to the shop and get my pen turning skills honed up.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congrats Bernie! Tax services paid for......

[Jon Lanier]

That is so cool! Now you'll have to pay taxes on those sales...

[Ben Gastfriend]

Nice! I can't say much about taxes but it's like a little mini tax return!

[Jim Becker]

There is nothing normally cheerful about tax time, but...that certainly is a nice ending no matter what the numbers indicated at the bottom of the return.

[Rasmus Petersen]

Nice... but don't worry as long as you guys don't have to pay danish taxes... we pay up to 68% in incometax!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then turning tools, machines and so on are more expensive than on your side of the pond.....

[robert hainstock]

Nice way to start next year off Bernie. 3 Attaboys
Bob

[Steve Schlumpf]

WOW! Congrats on the commission sales Bernie! It's been a good year for your turnings so far! Hope this trend continues to build for you!

[Pat Doble]

Don't worry Rasmus, we'll soon be 'there' too.........

[David Walser]

Bernie,

I've got such mixed emotions about your post. On the one hand, you sold a bunch of pens -- which is great! Wow! Someone saw one of your pens and asked about it. That's a lot better than someone buying something that you had on display in your booth.

On the other hand, I'm a CPA. I've got a Masters degree in tax. (Yes, it's a shame our tax system is so complex people can get a Masters degree in tax. But it's worse than that, I was taught by people who have their Phd's in the subject.) I cringe whenever I hear "H&R Bl..."! It's not that I'm afraid of the competition; it's more like: Eww, ick! Wouldn't you rather take your deer to a butcher for processing than have your neighbor cut it up in his garage?

I'm sure your tax person is one of the good ones, but -- eww... [shudder]

Now, I've got to get back to reviewing returns...

[Scott Lux]

Congrats! I had a similar experience this week. I gave the secretary of our watershed group a pen for all her hard work. She bought 3 more. A lady at work saw my honeylocust pen and asked about it. We talked and she mentioned that if I had any other pieces she'd love to see them. So I brought in a couple bottle stoppers. She bought one and another lady bought the other.

I love easy selling.

Lux

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks everyone. Yes it was a nice surprise. I got my order in last night so should be ready to go by next weekend. At least I will make a little more than what my taxes cost me to have them done.

David the gal that does my taxes is the same gal that did my books for me as my accountant. She bought H & R Block when the other lady retired. We have two independent CPA's here in town and I would NOT trust them doing your taxes let alone mine. The other CPA firm is so high priced small businesses can't afford them. Yep I do cut my deer up in the garage.

[David Walser]

Bernie,

I hope you know I was joking. I was surprised and bemused by my own irrational reaction to your mention of that, that, firm. (I can't bring myself to write the name.)

I, too, cut up my deer in the garage. I just wouldn't pay somebody to cut it up in their garage.

[Lee DeRaud]

I, too, cut up my deer in the garage.

Oh, you mean TurboTax?

(Tried the freebie version of HRB's TaxCut once: it came up with the right answers, but boy did that user interface suck! I think it was designed to make you throw your hands in the air and head for one of their offices.)

[David Walser]

Oh, you mean TurboTax?

(Tried the freebie version of HRB's TaxCut once: it came up with the right answers, but boy did that user interface suck! I think it was designed to make you throw your hands in the air and head for one of their offices.)

Lee,

I've got nothing against someone using TurboTax or TaxCut. (I used to use one or the other for my own taxes. The interface was simpler than the "pro software" I used from my clients.) I really, honestly, didn't think I had anything against someone using H&R Block -- until I saw Bernie's post. I've got to work on my biases.

I agree that the free version of TaxCut stunk. I don't think the poor interface was to try and get you to use their tax service. The purpose of the free version was to market their mortgage and investment products. They wanted as many people as possible to use the system. Then, the IRS issued rules prohibiting the use of tax data for marketing other services and products, and the free version went away. Funny, that.

Now returning this conversation to things spun on a lathe....