I gave the Hippie a call on the way home. Despite a huge difference in motives, his guitar lessons are somewhat similar because they occupy the same slot in his life [as teaching computer lessons do in mine]. It is cash money income to a person who basically detests 99% of what the government does. I am against all social programs supported by taxation (but I am not against social programs in general). Mind you, if anyone can get together a room full of working taxpayers and, by a show of hands, demonstrate the majority are for welfare, that will change my standpoint.
Even so, only my standpoint on who pays would change. If one person dissents, the other ninety-nine should not be allowed to force him to comply. The cost of welfare should be divided among those who support it and the rest of society left alone. Welfare should never be majority rule.
Notice when I get easy money how political I become all of a sudden? Then notice that is generally true everywhere. So, on the way home I see the Thrift Store open on Federal near Johnson. I go in for a look and this half-deaf lady starts talking to me. Soon she remembers a man who needs his taxes done. By 6:00 PM I was over at Mark’s place in the ‘hood. It takes about two minutes to figure out he is one sharp individual. I said essentially that he should forget the taxes for now, I was going to show him something on his computers. He had a house full of networked computers but did not know how to work any of the applications (programs).
He went wide-eyed and kept saying things like, “I knew that was there for a reason.” I gave him my special course called Small Business 101. He caught on immediately, and I could sense the light bulbs turning on in his head. I told you, he is sharp. You only got to show him once, but that is not necessarily a compliment when you are an over-40 male.
I see this so often, people in a jam because they can’t get anybody to give then a straight answer or to just show them the easy way to do things. He probably thinks I’m a genius, but the reality is after I’d handled a few dozen of his receipts and invoices, I knew he was making money under the table (you should see his friggin’ house). He’s pulling in about $600 per day, and $500 of it is cash. All he needs is the guidelines to keep minimal tax records to be in compliance.
That is another thing I see a lot of. People behind on their taxes because they don’t trust anybody to work on their books, and soon they are fearful of letting anyone even touch their affairs. Mark is probably wise to have not taken that box of receipts to a regular accounting firm. No way some of that would pass muster. All I did was show him how easy it was to make the entries on his own. Whether he does that or not is hardly my concern. If he cheats, I did not advise him to do so. Nor is it my responsibility to pass judgment.
ADDENDUM
It is not true that I lost my license to practice accounting. (I never had a license to practice accounting.)
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