The Tax Deadline That Wasn't: Keeping Your Distance 14

Our little garden, as observed this morning.

Has it grown in the couple of weeks since planting?

This is as it was initially planted. 

I'll let you be the judge.

Typically, in my profession, there is a great sigh of relief, as the dreaded April 15th deadline has now left the building.

Not this year.

The first tax deadline for individual returns was extended to July 15th.  We still had returns come in, but it was nowhere near the level of prior years.

Much of the slack of this was more than taken up by assisting businesses and non-profits with applications for PPP (Payroll Protection Program) and EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan).  I don't usually name names, but two of the staff have to be noted for putting effort above and beyond the normal call to duty, Ronald Paulk and Chris Arney.

Many of these vital loans are lost in a maze and haze of bureaucratic mess and overload.  I know that many are frustrated by the delay in receiving these.  All I can tell you is that your accountants and local bankers are working hard to prod the process to completion.  Yes, I'm not always the banker's best friend in my commentary, but I really feel like they're trying as hard as they can to meet the ever-shifting paperwork requirements to get this to those who need as quickly as they can.  

I'm not even assigning a lot of blame to Congress.  Could it have been thought out better?  Sure.  But they had to do it quickly.  Speed was more important than pretty.  Given the bitter divisions between parties, it was a miracle we got what we did.

Look at the bright side.  At least you're not waiting for these loans so that HE can slap his name on it.  At least you're not one of those waiting for a check in the mail because HE held them so HE can add HIS signature to them, delivered via USPS, a service he wants to gut and cripple and hijack to a more expensive private system.

This does represent a downturn in the number of hours that I will work.  I want to contain accounting to a couple of days a week, especially during this stay at home period.

Today I go into the dentist.  I know.  I'm bad.  But Monday, I had my one and only dental work (except for a few filled cavities), a crown, fall out while eating a grilled Chick-fil-a nugget.  I didn't even know that was possible.  So, I'm in some pain and have to eat and drink out of one side of my mouth, and therefore have to do something.

I probably won't be able to wear a mask when they re-attach it.  Or whatever they do. God, I hope they don't have to make a new one.

I just hope the crown is still under warranty.