European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 26, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 stars and stripes monday March 262007 accountant offers ways to help dear Abby i am an accountant now that tax season is again in full swing several staff members from our office have compiled a list of considerations for dear Abby readers in compiling their tax returns 1 do not just drop in to leave your tax records even if we dont have an office full of clients waiting to be seen and sometimes we we Are probably knee deep in preparing someone else return being distracted from our work for a visit can be very disruptive 2 because we see you Only once a year Many clients feel the need to share How their children Are doing we try to be polite and listen but if you spend up to an hour sharing How wonder or even worthless your children Are Well be trading Daylight for darkness trying to catch up 3 please pay your accountant in a timely fashion i wish i had a Nickel for every client who told me thought spouse had already written the Check it has never once occurred that both Actu ally paid the Bill it May seem like were rolling in Money during tax season but we have taxes to pay too 4 please do not Call your accountant and ask a question for your neighbor or anyone else other than yourself this work is our livelihood and giving advice for someone else often entails research but it is not billable time for our firm 5 and last if you Call your accountant requesting information about the tax consequences of a decision you Are trying to make please do not have a fit when you receive a Bill for the time spent doing this research Many times we have spent a lot of time researching real estate trans actions Etc along with current tax Laws to determine How a Sale might cause increased tax liability for clients and they Are shocked to receive a state ment for this time sleepless in Texas dear sleepless ill bet most people dont recognize How any of the Points you mentioned could possibly be an inconvenience but in sure it happens every tax season in Case anyone has forgotten accountants and tax preparers Are human beings who need care feeding and consideration when you go be aware that this is one of their most pressured times of the year and be As organized prepared and Businesslike As possible your accountant May love you but it aint a social Call letters for this column with your name and phone number should be addressed to dear Abby to Box 69440 los Angeles Ca 90069 readers can write to Abby on the internet at Universal press Syndicate Pis this is oui for people who Prink a lot Smint Happy new its a ranch offering a warm Friend in supportive environment close to nature you off to pig m10nsters like live bait catch Jap catch release i tie motion passes Tim will refrain from sitting in positions Teviat demonstrate his Doutly Joii v to or c e that scrambled word game by Henri Arnold and Mike Argirion unscramble these four jumbles one letter to each Square to form four Ordinary words s Tribune Media services inc All rights reserved nag s  s s Why the prisoner y15itep the now arrange the circled letters to form the Surprise answer As suggested by the above cartoon a to saturdays s j answers tomorrow jumbles Power dunce Bushel surety answer what the running Back did As time was running out rushed to score Speed bump i a 0 w i