OK. That may be understatement. I have never had to learn this much tax law on the fly and during the height of tax season. A tax season that, at least in my office, started woefully late. Many clients didn’t make getting their documents into the office a priority until “the virus issue” had already started. So—early March instead of mid- to late February. But my troubles are fixable. I and the taxpayers who count on me to file their returns have been granted more time. You know who hasn’t been granted more time? The IRS.

For all the piles of new information I am having to read, absorb, and analyze (and I have some of the best instructors in the country helping me with that, BTW), the IRS is having to read, absorb, analyze and implement. So are your state taxing authorities and unemployment departments. For some insight into what the IRS is experiencing, I’m going to recommend this article (it’s Part 1 of 2). I saw a post today from one of my favorite instructors (I call him Tax Yoda). He typically gives a ton of free time and help to other #taxpros during season answering complex questions and pointing people to where they should start their research. He was asking those #taxpros to ease up a bit. He’s trying to work on his clients’ returns, help create new classes based on the new law, answer calls and e-mails from clients about the new law and is still trying to help other tax professionals. But apparently he’s not doing that fast enough to suit some people. I’ve seen pleas on Twitter from NM Tax & Revenue and the NM Department of Workforce solutions that people please stop calling and e-mailing. They are working as fast as they can with extremely limited resources (people are working from home!) to implement the relief measures being passed by state and municipal governments. They need time and space to develop their forms and processes. They need some breathing time.

If you are a client of mine reading this I want to thank you from the bottom of my hard drive for your patience and for your silence. A manageable number of you have called or e-mailed with questions, but most of you are reading the Constant Contact updates and simply waiting for me to provide new information. I am so grateful. All of us are struggling right now and we are all in this together. Your kindness and patience are not going unnoticed. If you are not a client or if you are talking to other people who are talking about calling their #taxpro or the IRS or a state taxing authority, please encourage them to wait. Information will be provided as soon as it is available. Help is on the way but we all need to get out of the way of the people trying to provide it. So for now, hang on, hang in, and hang up.

#fullambo out.