No pranks are allowed in the office on this “Day of Fools” as we approach the tax filing deadline that falls on April 18th this year.
“And No, that is not a Joke about the deadline being moved to the 18th this year.
The deadline for filing your Federal Taxes this year is Monday, April 18, 2022. This is because even though April 15th is a Friday, it is also Emancipation Day, which is celebrated in Washington, DC, causing all businesses and government offices to close. This happened back in 2017 as well.
As I was writing this, I began to ponder the origins of April Fools Day.
Oh there are many associations or attributions, from France, Ireland and Scotland, to name a few. The one I like is the association with Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales from 1392. In the Nun’s Priest’s Tale, a vain rooster, Chauntecleer is tricked by a fox on “Since March began thirty days and two”, i.e. 32 days since March began, which is 1 April.
We have all been working very long hours since February 1st, and with just two weeks to go, this is usually our busiest time of the season as we approach the end. I often compare tax season to flying a jumbo jet, the hardest part is taking off and landing.