Today TaxMama managed to crash the TaxQuips Forum. We’ll get it back up this morning. In the meantime, let’s talk about some of the issues that keep cropping up in the questions that I’ve seen these past few weeks.
Dear Family,
Somewhere, someone must have written something about tax bankruptcy and TaxMama in the past couple of weeks, because the forum is inundated with questions from people in tax trouble.
Although I was only gone for one week, the TaxQuips Forum has dozens of questions asking what is Tax Bankruptcy? So far, only one person has actually followed the instructions to search the site before asking their question.
As it happens, this is a question we’ve been answering for several years. The TaxMama site and the TaxQuips Forum are filled with answers. In fact, if you look at the drop-down menu “Search for Topics”, you will find Tax Bankruptcy. I wish I could answer each and every person individually. But, let’s face it, like all mothers, I hate repeating myself. (How utterly boooring!) And like all mothers and teachers, I know that you can’t learn or benefit from anything if you keep taking the easy way out and have all the information handed to you.
Lao Tzu said it best. “Give a man a fish, you feed him for today. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”
In the course of many, many (did I say MANY?) years in business, with clients in all industries, the biggest problem I have seen across the board is staff, customers, clients, users and taxpayers – they simply don’t follow instructions. It’s kind of a joke in customer service circles. What’s the problem? They didn’t FTI (follow the instructions).
Folks, if you’re in trouble – tax or financial, basically, it boils down to not having followed instructions in the first place. Not setting aside the money you needed to pay the taxes when you had it. Not having maintained books and records along the way – counting on catching up at year-end. Not having done any financial planning to see if you should even be in business – or that you’re better off as an employee. (Trust me, the burdens that disappear when you let someone else run the company and you just do what you’re good at…you wouldn’t believe the pressure that’s relieved!)
Now, the only way to get out of trouble, no matter who you hire to help you – will be to diligently follow instructions. Please start here. Search the site before asking. There’s a WEALTH of information – thousands of answers. In fact, someone else may have already asked a question about a situation just like yours.
And remember, you can find answers to all kinds of questions about tax problems, research and other tax issues, free. Where? Where else? At www.TaxMama.com.
[Note: If you were subscribed to the e-mailed TaxQuips, you’d be getting other exciting news and tips by e-mail, that never appear on the site. Please click on the join TaxMama.com link – it’s free!]Please post all Comments and Replies in the new TaxQuips Forum .
