Is Your C.P.A. Your Therapist?

Dear Dr. LeCrone:

I am a C.P.A about to finish another tax season.

Recently, one of my friends who is a psychologist brought to my attention that our careers have several similar patterns.

We both provide a professional service in which confidentially is one of the cornerstones of our work. People come to us with issues that sometimes overlap when finances become a problem. Our clients come to us when they have problems and often human emotion is displayed. We see anger, disappointment, anxiety and frustration at times. Also, our work can be very stressful, especially when dealing with difficult clients.

Many accountants have given their clients’ the news about owing taxes only to feel like a messenger about to be shot. My psychologist friend tells me that this displaced anger is common when people hear bad news that they didn’t expect.

I try to listen sympathetically but don’t enjoy being told that I am incompetent, stupid, or too conservative in my approach to the client’s tax obligation. Fortunately, this behavior doesn’t happen too often, and if the client is unduly rude and abusive, I simply suggest he may be happy having someone else file his return in coming years.

Another kind of client that can be stressful to accountants is the one that procrastinates until the last few days before April 15th (April 17th this year) and then brings in his pile of receipts, withholding statements and other assorted paperwork and expects immediate completion of his return. As part of a person’s tax preparation, I have heard all about messy divorces, detailed medical issues, complex child custody situations and unhappy employment environments.

People going through the process of looking at their financial picture often begin to realize how their priorities, values and goals need review and assessment. The accountant can then be thrust into the role of being a sounding board for those needing to face the realities of the lifestyles that they have chosen.

If you have a good CPA, give him or her a pat on the back and remember that he or she is often a lot more than just a numbers cruncher.

-A reader in Virginia

Dear reader:

Thanks for your comments. Many of us couldn’t function without our CPAs.