Thursday, March 19, 2009

A Sign of Spring

You don't need a robin to tell you it's spring. All you have to do is look on the sidewalk in front of a tax prep business. Its mascot is the Statue of Liberty, and some poor soul gets stuck standing near traffic to remind people the income tax filing deadline is approaching.

They're out there, regardless of the weather. I always blow my horn and wave. It has to be tough duty.

The gimmick seems to be an effective one, but my business goes elsewhere. I'm loyal to the guy who's done my taxes and kept me out of jail for a rather long time. This year's returns were prepared more than a month ago. The refund check is already in the bank.

I'm always an early filer, and I understand a lot of people filed early this year. The refund check helps carry you through these difficult economic times.

Whether or not you're swayed by the Statue of Liberty, hurry up. The deadline is less than a month away.