When I think of April 16, many positive thoughts, feelings, smells, tastes and emotions well up within me. It’s a glorious day in which many Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) can relax, kick back, and revert to 36-hour work weeks. It’s the finish line to many professional’s work hell. While the shift from grueling work to a chill lifestyle could be a reason to experience happiness on April 16, this is not the case for me. I experience all the above emotions because April 16 is my BIRTHDAY. Yes, it is my birthday, no joke. I was born on April 16, 1979. If I had a HALF-penny for every person who made the joke about the CPA with the April 16 birthday, I wouldn’t be sharing this with you. Even funnier — if my dad (also a CPA) had a QUARTER-penny for every person who told him I was the greatest tax-season-ending gift, Bill Gates would have never been the richest person in the land. All joking aside, I am on a mission to dispel this notion that April 16 is the beginning of the break for CPAs as Rumspringa is to Amish teenagers. Throughout my experience — six years strong — the question has been raised over and over: are CPAs working smart or hard? Who says a CPA can’t work smart?
