Mike Drop

A married couple came in to do their taxes. Their names were Michelle and Michael. They had the same last name because she had changed her name to match her husband’s when they got married.

For Minnesota state taxes, it’s important that income is entered under the correct person because their separate incomes are used to calculate the marriage tax credit.

The whole time I’m putting their taxes together, I’m accidentally putting it under the wrong person because the names are so similar, and the couple are correcting me like I’m a moron.

They’re getting cranky with me. I’m getting cranky with them for getting cranky with me. They make some nasty, sarcastic comments that, for my peace of mind, I’m choosing not to remember.

I get the taxes done and show them the numbers. They hit the roof; there’s no way that could be right. We go through each income document line by line once, twice, three times. They keep insisting that something is wrong. The fourth time, I noticed it.

One of the W2s mixed in with their W2s belongs to their son Michael (same last name), JUNIOR.

I point it out to them, grin my nastiest grin, and repeat one of their nasty, sarcastic comments about how hard can it be to tell people apart back at them.

They left the office quieter and somewhat more polite than they entered, but I still hope I don’t have to see them again next year.