IRS announces rebate payment schedule
The Internal Revenue Service announced on Monday that it will begin sending more than 130 million economic stimulus payments starting May 2. The initial round of weekly payments will be completed by early July.

New IRS Commissioner Shulman takes over reins
Douglas H. Shulman, the newly confirmed commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, said he would concentrate both on enforcement and service and work to ensure the tax agency is fair, according to Associated Press reports.

Cost of IRS rebate letters engenders comment
Over the weekend, the Internal Revenue Service received a lot of attention from Op ed columnists, letter writers, and general news media, in this case because the agency spent $42 million to mail out 130 million letters to individuals who filed a 2006 federal return telling them that they might receive a rebate.

Desktop Yoga? Helpful stress busters!
Humans by nature are meant to have high and low stress periods and if you prolong those highs you can actually decrease your productivity.

Workplace snacks to get you through the busy season
When you're too busy to leave your desk for meals, your health can suffer. It's not just the stress of working long hours, either. The food you are eating may actually be contributing to the problem.

Procrastination: Putting off today what you can do tomorrow
Have you ever before procrastinated? Have you put off returning phone calls only to find that you are too embarrassed to return a call when you receive the third attempt from a caller. Have you ever put off doing an assignment for someone and then when it came due, you made an excuse in an effort to gain more time?

Not Busy Season, It's "Prime Time"
In accounting firms, the term "busy season" is synonymous with the period of January to mid-April. These are the months when professionals talk to clients, referral sources, friends, family, and sometimes just about anybody who will listen, about being swamped, exhausted and "really crazy" right now.... Prime Time is when you and your firm are most visible of all. Don't use it to tell the world you are over-worked and have no room left to serve clients. As they say, "never let 'em see you sweat." The smartest firms use Prime Time to demonstrate that their service and attitude is so great, clients & referral sources should want to refer all their associates.

Share your voice in Michelle Golden's Blog!

Editor's Note

We've got something extra to discuss with clients this year with new rebates that are scheduled to be distributed beginning in May. A nice payment schedule was issued this week, so now taxpayers can start counting the days until their payment arrives. And while the rebates add just one more thing to the mass of information you're trying to process this spring, don't forget to take care of yourself as we come into the final stretch of busy season. This issue of the Tax Zone Supplement contains some tips for healthy snacks you can eat at your desk and exercises you can do from the comfort of your ergonomic chair. Finally there are some tips about how not to procrastinate when your time now is so valuable, and Michelle Golden shares her views on how to turn busy season into your Prime Time.

Gail Perry, CPA
Managing Editor
editor@accountingweb.com