This time of year makes me nostalgic for a bygone era.
Am I the only one?
And because I’m a CPA and the founder of this little but mighty organization, my nostalgia always goes to a time when the government seemed less fractured. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t the following be wonderful?
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Imagine knowing precisely why your taxes were going up every year and where that money was going because your savings go down when your taxes go up.
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Imagine if politicians could no longer wittingly or unwittingly hide the actual financial numbers from taxpayers.
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Imagine if resources were prioritized to serve the people instead of political power because everyone could see the dollars on the table.
I imagine all of that will come true one day.
Because better government accounting standards would mitigate the inherent risk of human nature, from fundamental human error to our propensity for accumulating power, better government accounting standards are the necessary guardrail for reigning in the government now and in the future.
But we aren’t naive. We understand there are two sides to this accounting coin: the government rules side and the people’s side. The people's side doesn’t just include how the money is spent; it includes how it is collected from them. This is why this winter, in conjunction with DU’s School of Accountancy, we will partner with the Sturm College of Law Tax Clinic to provide free tax services every Saturday from 9:30 to 3:30, from January through March 2024.
At TIA, we don’t just point out the government's budget problems. We look at the issue holistically, from withholding and paying taxes to how the government uses those tax dollars, and WE OFFER SOLUTIONS!
Accounting is real and personal to us. We put our time and hearts into these efforts, one taxpayer and issue at a time.
We are proud of our work, and we are proud to have your support. You are building our nostalgia reserves every year and helping us change government for the better.
Lastly, just for fun, I’ve started recording short videos of strange things I’ve been finding while pouring through the annual comprehensive financial reports of some of our 75 largest cities. [The annual Financial State of the Cities report is due out in mid-February, 24]
Here is my first video on San Francisco.
Enjoy!
If you want to learn how to read your city's annual comprehensive financial report, watch our tutorial here.