As the time approaches to begin gathering all you need to prepare your taxes, take a moment to consider the following unconventional wisdom.

Your bathroom can profoundly affect your tax situation. After getting locked inside a tiny upstairs bathroom at a bookstore in Massachusetts, I asked the friendly owner if, by any chance, they were having tax trouble. With surprise (and a bit of terror) in her eyes, she proceeded to tell me that unpaid back taxes could sink her business. Sometimes just the right question invites a new solution to an unresolved problem.

So, this year I am shouting out to all of you. Look for the following design details in your home and office before you even begin to put the first figures on paper.

• If you are sleeping with your head directly opposite the toilet (or sink) in the adjoining bathroom, you may be facing a significant tax disaster. Email me at info@katherinemetz.com. I will be happy to help you with a very simple fix.
• If your bathroom is in the center of the house, you may be paying too much money in land taxes. Email me!
• If the bathroom doors are not working properly (squeaking, sticking, etc.), fix them immediately! You will rest more easily as April 15th approaches. Things will go smoothly, and you will pay what is right and proper without hassle.

We fixed that darn lock before I left the bookstore. Their accountant called unexpectedly the next day to say that one year’s taxes had been corrected, paid, and he was on to the next.

Just yesterday I sprayed my squeaking bathroom door with WD-40! Today I called my accountant. Here’s to a non-eventful April 15th for everyone.

p.s.  Avoid sitting at a round table to prepare your taxes. Your focus on the details will be diminished and you will be more likely to make a mistake.