Tax Returns Assembly Factory

Today, I have finished 15 tax returns, several of them are corporate tax returns that have a filing deadline on September 15, 2012.  Most of them are individual tax returns that were put on extension from April 2012.  I don't know why many CPAs like to do tax returns.  Most of the time it's really data entries, particularly for the individuals' tax returns.  I guess one thrill of doing tax returns is the quick turnover.  With professional tax software's powerful diagnostics, it really doesn't take that much thinking to do tax returns anymore.

With the occasional special issues of tax free exchanges for real estate partnerships, enterprise zone and other industry specific manufacturing credits, and the occasional debt forgiveness, the 15 tax returns that I did today presented no time consuming challenge to me.  At times, I was feeling not like an accountant but a bored  data entry clerk.

The main difference between working in small CPA firms vs Big 4 is that you get to do the boring tax returns during times like this, after you are done with your financial audits and you missed out the tax season back in April.  You will get to do tax returns and plenty of them now.  It's as if there is a second tax season.  I never liked doing tax returns because I hate data entry and I get bored by the process easily.  But I am pulled into this tax filing fun because of these September 15 and October 15 deadlines.

A lot of the tax codes are only applicable to very few people and situations.  The ones that apply to majority of the people are always the same old same old....  This is why even a hair dresser and a travel agent can do tax returns and they put tax returns filing signs outside their barber shop and travel agency.  Pretty soon, I believe I will see car mechanics putting their tax sign up saying "Have your tax return filed while having your car's oil changed."

As a CPA, I often feel like doing tax returns is like doing something that even my high school grad grandpa  can do on Turbo Tax (yes, he never let me do his returns, he loves doing his own on Turbo Tax ... ). I feel kind of being degraded.  After all, one doesn't have to be a CPA to do taxes.   I wonder what it's like to do taxes in the Big 4, may be their tax clients' situations are so complicated that doing taxes can actually be fun and challenging?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to have this Sept and Oct 15th deadlines over, so I can go back to work on attestations and other advisory projects.