Calm before the Tax storm at S&Co

 

The office of S&Co had a deceptive calm that Thursday morning. The wall clock ticked, the coffee machine hummed, and the ceiling fans stirred a gentle breeze. But everyone knew - it was only the calm before the storm of tax filing season.

With CA Srini away visiting a client, the mantle of responsibility rested on Jagruti, the senior-most in office. She sat poised at her desk, reviewing notes, while Pooja, second in command, was already on a call explaining - once again  -why “AY 2025 - 26 is not the same as FY 2025 - 26.”

Clients had begun to trickle in, each bringing their documents in unique and sometimes amusing ways. One walked in with a neatly labeled folder, every page clipped and cross-referenced. Another sheepishly handed over a crumpled envelope stuffed with bank statements, insurance receipts, and even a grocery bill by mistake. Prajakta carefully sorted the pile, gently reminding him which papers were relevant.

Then there were the smartphone warriors. “I’ve sent you everything on WhatsApp!” announced one client proudly. The ‘everything’ turned out to be half-blurred pictures of Form 16 taken under a tube light. Dhawal, ever patient, sighed, downloaded the images, and requested proper PDFs. “We’ll make do, but please, next year send a scan,” he added diplomatically.

Meanwhile, another client had emailed spreadsheets with columns titled “FY 2025 - 26” when he actually meant AY. Pooja chuckled as she corrected it, remarking, “The alphabet soup of AYs and FYs keeps us busier than the tax law itself.”

At the junior desks, things were buzzing. Sadhana nervously raised her hand: “Ma’am, does ELSS qualify under 80C or is it separate?” Tabassum - a temporary import from the wealth management division of Srini’s brother Vaidy’s outfit - was busy tallying LIC premiums. They darted back and forth between seniors, balancing learning with deadlines. Pooja, guided them through examples, while Jagruti stepped in whenever queries turned knotty - like capital gains mismatches.

The energy in the office was one of structured anticipation. Files were being logged, AIS statements reconciled, and checklists ticked off. Every now and then, the team shared a light laugh at a client’s creative filing system - a shoe box full of receipts, a pen drive dangling from a keychain, or images of rent agreements with the landlord’s dog photobombing in the background.

Yet beneath the humour, everyone sensed what lay ahead. Soon, the phones would ring nonstop, the “urgent, urgent” pleas would flood in, and late sitting & working on weekends would become routine. For now, though, S&Co basked in its quiet preparation, readying itself for the storm of deadlines - because that’s what keeps a Chartered Accountant’s office ticking.

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