Adventures in Tax Preparation

Whoever came up with the name homo sapiens, “thinking man,” for our species clearly never worked as a tax preparer. Actual conversation:

Tax preparer: “How do you want to receive your refund? We can do direct deposit into your checking account, or at a higher charge we can cut you a check.”
Client: “I want a check.”
TP: “Are you sure? You told me you wanted to keep your fees as low as possible. We charge you $20 for a check. Direct deposit is free.”
C: “I’ve always gotten a check.”
TP: “Let’s work through this. If we cut you a check, you have to come back to this office to pick it up. You’ll then drive over to your bank to deposit the check. With direct deposit, the money is placed directly into your account. And we’re going to charge you $20 for putting you through the extra effort.”
C: “Okay. But I still want to get a check.”

At times like this I wonder how we ever managed to become the dominant life form on the planet.

What is interesting about this situation is that tax preparation firms are sometimes attacked for having “predatory pricing.” Like charging $20 to cut a refund check for a customer. But in the face of less expensive alternatives, some clients are going to choose what they are most comfortable with, even if it costs them extra.

One of the characteristics of living in a free society is the number of choices you have. Intrinsic to that is the right to make bad choices.