USA. A Mexican restaurant. We had not yet ordered anything, and the food was already arriving. Chips. Salsa. Unrequested. Free. I stopped the waiter. "We have not earned these." "They just come with the table, man." They come with the TABLE. In my land, hospitality is a debt. Every gift creates an obligation, weighed carefully, returned in the proper season with interest of feeling. Here, the gift arrives before you have even proven you can pay for dinner. This is not an appetizer. This is a declaration: we trust you. Eat. I ate with the gravity the moment deserved. And then — I must report this calmly — the basket emptied, and a new one appeared. "Did we…?" "Refill," the waiter said. "It's bottomless." Bottomless. They have wells of salsa. The supply lines of this nation are beyond anything my ancestors imagined. My friend warned me. "Don't fill up on chips, dude." Too late. I had accepted three baskets. Honor demanded each one be finished — an unfinished gift is an insult. By the time my actual food arrived, I was a ruined man. I was not hungry. I was not comfortable. I had been defeated by a courtesy. Generosity that arrives before the request cannot be repaid. It can only be survived. I know the rule now. I have made my peace with the basket. One basket. Two at the most. Who am I deceiving. There is no number of baskets I would refuse. The trust of a nation is in that salsa, and I intend to honor all of it.

Something for the @AICPA to work on: Talk to banking industry groups and oversight agencies and get banks to stop asking for tax extensions for borrowers. Can they just assume the extension was done and they aren't deadbeats until AFTER 10/15? cc @LisaTSimpsonCPA #TaxTwitter

Was just on Direct Pay and they now let you make Estimated Tax Payments for any year instead of having a drop down that forces you. I'm not sure it's an improvement but I have had clients make their Jan ES as a next year ES when they are a few days after the 15th. #TaxTwitter

Head up to all my #TaxTwitter friends at #Engage26 this week.

Timely @HowTaxWorks @ForemanTaxLaw

I started talking to my co-founder like Claude

Should the Monday after @taxretreat should be a holiday?

Now I'm actually home. #TaxTwitter #TaxRetreat26 @taxretreat

I need an opinion from @andreacpa0 Do they tend bar? Do they play guitar? Do they bite?

Just feels right. @DailyTaxMemes agrees.

Must be home from @taxretreat The air is dry. Like it's supposed to be. What a great trip. I'll miss you all until next year.

It's packed away and headed under the plane to go back into hibernation until next year. Thanks to all who played and made bringing the extra bag totally worth it!! @taxretreat #TaxRetreat26 #TaxTwitter

How does this compare to the various versions in that @HowTaxWorks episode a few months back @ForemanTaxLaw ?

At @taxretreat, Erin Collins reported that TAS is under pressure: more cases, fewer advocates, and taxpayers still struggling when ordinary IRS channels fail. But TAS is also pushing systemic fixes from clearer notices to taxpayer-service reforms. forbes.com/sites/kellyphilli…

The game has begun . . . @taxretreat #CardsAgainstHumanity #TaxRetreat26

Want to be at the next Cards Against Humanity table? 5pm Saturday somewhere near the Atrium where breakfast was served. I can't rule out a late night game tonight but this is probably your last chance to join the fun!! @taxretreat #TaxRetreat26

Great exercise from @IraGilligan about what it can be like to work in a place that doesn't quite fit how you work. This was written with my non-dominant hand. It helped me really internalize something I don't think I understood very well. @taxretreat

Shark Week comes early at @taxretreat !!! @andreacpa0 @cordes_tax @andreamacdcpa @KJSAcct

Good move @ajthecpa1226

I think everyone should come home from @taxretreat and teach this to someone in their life.