April 10, 2002--
With the tax filing deadline just a few days away now, tax procrastinators are feeling a little stressed.
And they are not alone.
A new study conducted at BYU suggests that accountants face one of the highest burnout and stress levels of any occupation.
Central Utah Correspondent Sam Penrod has more.
Accountants across the country are working long days and nights, trying to finish up tax returns.
And it's a stack of unfinished work, along with that April 15th deadline, that has many accountants on the edge this time of year.
Like most accountants right now, Steven Johnson is very busy.
During tax season, his day usually starts at 6:00 in the morning and goes until midnight, with just a couple of hours off for lunch and dinner.
Steven Johnson/Certified Public Accountant: "IT CAUSES QUITE A BIT OF STRESS AND YOU WONDER SOMETIMES HOW EFFECTIVE YOU'RE BEING AT THREE IN THE MORNING, WHEN IT GETS THAT LATE DOING A RETURN."
Johnson and his small staff will do about 1,000 individual tax returns along with about 50 returns for businesses this year.
It's that kind of a workload in just two and a half months that a new study suggests puts accountants at a higher risk of job burnout than even doctors, lawyers or teachers.
Dr. Scott Summers/BYU Professor: "COMPARING OUT STUDY TO OTHER STUDIES, WE FOUND THAT ACCOUNTANTS' LEVEL OF STREES, THEIR BURNOUT, EMOTIONAL EXHAUST EXCEEDS OTHER PROFESSIONS BY A LARGE MARGIN."
Dr. Scott Summers's research involved surveys of eleven accounting offices in seven states.
Dr. Scott Summers/BYU Professor: "IN LATE DECEMBER, PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS WORK AN AVERAGE OF 49 HOURS A WEEK. BUT WHEN WE TURNED TO MID MARCH, THAT NUMBER IS UP TO 64 HOURS A WEEK. AND AT 64 HOURS A WEEK, THEY RESORT TO SOME COPING MECHANISM IN ORDER TO ENDURE THAT WORKLOAD."
The study found the most common way accountants deal with being overworked is to depersonalize their work, or, in other words, people are looked at as a 1040, not as an individual.
And that's why accountants like Steven Johnson hope people will be patient with them this time of the year and avoid waiting until April to do their taxes.
Steven Johnson/Certified Public Accountant: "GET THEM IN EARLY. EVEN IF YOU OWE, YOU HAVE TIME TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR IT AND IT WOULD HELP ACCOUNTANTS A LOT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T WAIT UNTIL THE END."
Post Offices Open Late
Twenty-eight Utah post offices will stay open late on Monday to help last-minute filers make the deadline.
The Salt Lake City Main post office (1760 W. 2100 S.) also will offer a 5-minute seated massage, in the lobby between noon and 3 pm Monday.
Representatives from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program will be at the Main Post Office from noon until midnight to provide free tax preparation to individuals with low or moderate incomes.
Here is a list of post offices open until midnight, on Monday, April 15, (unless otherwise noted).
Salt Lake County
Downtown, 230 W. 200 South
Main, 1760 W. 2100 South
Holladay, 2350 Arbor Lane
Sugarhouse, 1953 S. 1100 East
Murray, 4989 S. State
West Jordan, 7901 S. 3200 West
West Valley City, 3490 S. 4400 West
Airport, 320 N. 3700 West
Other Areas
American Fork, 55 N. Merchant (until 9 p.m.)
Bountiful, 20 S. Main St.
Castledale, 55 S. Center St.
Cedar City, 333 N. Main
Grantsville, 36 W. Main
Layton, 1123 N. Fairfield Road
Logan, 75 W. 200 N.
Ogden, 3680 Pacific Ave.
Ogden Ben Lomond, 221 N. Washington Ave.
Ogden Town Station, 2641 Washington Blvd.
Mount Ogden, 1136 E. 4600 South
Orem, 222 W. Center
Park City Snyderville, 6440 N. Highway 224 (until 9 p.m.)
Pleasant Grove, 180 S. 100 West (until 9 p.m.)
Provo East Bay, 936 S. 250 East
Richfield, 93 N. Main
Sandy, 8850 S. 700 East
St. George Red Rocks, 1150 E. Riverside Dr.
Tooele, 65 N. Main St.
Vernal, 67 N. 800 West
