Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

92-Year-Old Accountant Shares His Secret to Surviving Busy Season

Nope, not copious amounts of alcohol.

As you're slogging through yet another busy season, just keep in mind that it could be worse. You could be on your 70th busy season, like Sidney Weiss was up until he retired at the ripe old age of 92.

A resident of Silver Spring, MD, Sidney Weiss grew up on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Back in his day, he and his pals hanging around on the corner knew what they wanted to do with their lives:

He wanted to be an accountant. As long as there were taxes, you’d have a job.

“I wasn’t the only one,” Sidney said. “They all wanted to study accounting, all the guys who hung out on the corner there. The guys that didn’t go to the City College, we thought they were stupid.”

As for deadbeat liar clients? Forget that. Weiss never had time for them:

“I had a client who wanted me to deduct some life insurance premiums,” Sidney said. “I said they’re not deductible. He said, ‘That’s because you don’t want to deduct them.’ I said, ‘That’s exactly right.’ ”

And why didn’t Sidney want to deduct them?

“They weren’t deductible,” Sidney said with a shrug.

When the Washington Post's John Kelly asked him if he ever got stressed by busy season, Weiss had a surprising answer:

No, Sidney said. “You just keep going.”

I'm just going to leave this here.

Latest Accounting Jobs--Apply Now:

Have something to add to this story? Give us a shout by email, Twitter, or text/call the tipline at 202-505-8885. As always, all tips are anonymous.

Comments are closed.

Related articles

Elon Musk smoking a blunt

Elon Musk Thinks You’re a Douche If You Work From Home

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the glorious days of work anywhere and firms too scared to lose you to force you to return to the office may soon be behind us. Apparently KPMG is telling tax people they need to come in three days a week now and PwC announced a […]

Accounting Summer Camp is a Thing in New York

High school students in the state of New York have the chance to participate in the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession program this summer, the deadline to apply is Friday, June 23, 2023 at 11:59pm which you can do at this link. Let’s skip the unnecessary commentary and get straight to the details. From […]