6 painful parallels between taxes and Google
It’s that dreadful time of year again.
An important deadline is approaching, accuracy matters, lives and livelihoods could be affected, the powers that be could get pretty upset by mistake(s), and we become painfully aware of being in over our heads – whether in the time, effort, or know-how required to “get it right.”
I’m not talking about quarter end (though that’s fast-approaching too).
I’m talking about tax season.
Most Americans don’t file their own taxes.
But those that do? They’re:
leaving money on the table,
having to navigate often-changing dynamics and regulations,
wasting time that could be much better spend on other higher ROI (or more fun) activities,
almost definitely accumulating a few gray hairs from the stress of it all,
making more mistakes, exposing themselves to real consequences,
and above all, very likely stunting the size of their return.
Feels like a no-brainer to hire a professional, right?
And yet:
Imagine we were talking about quarter end.
And consider that the vast majority of corporate America still sinks hours of their workweek – and in turn years of their career – into searching Google (and now, LLMs) for answers to important business questions.
Those that do? Revisit that list above 👆, because all the same things apply to anyone still doing all this Googling or LLMing themselves instead of leveraging a professional who can do it better, faster.
Doing either of these things (filing taxes, or doing desk research) yourself is a fool's errand.
Why? Because doing either of these well requires the same 6 things:
Spending time to learn how to do it correctly
Spending time and effort to stay up to date on best practices
Knowing the right questions to ask
Applying discretion and good judgment
Considering relevant context and future implications
Appreciating the devil – and the nuance – in the details
Those who realize that have a real competitive advantage. By handing these off to a professional (equally invested in their success), they can focus their time, energy, and brainpower on higher leverage activities.
Off to call my accountant, submit some Wonder research, and enjoy the extra hours I’ve just created in my day!
Victoria
P.S. We can’t give you a discount on hiring an accountant, but we can offer you a free trial to get you some hours back in your workday for any research you need to do. Give it a spin here!