Adding humor to taxing topics
10/13/2009 by David Chapman Staff Writer One probably won’t find a comedian eliciting too many laughs with a bit on the minute details and procedures of tax and estate planning, but one local firm has melded the topics with a little humor for its business associates. For the past eight years, local tax and estate planning firm Fisher Tousey Leas & Ball has invited area insurance companies, certified public accountants, nonprofit officials and other area groups they’ve had relationships with to its annual seminar for a little education and laughs.“The program is pretty unique,” said Michael Fisher, senior partner of Fisher Tousey. “The topic is pretty complex so we try to add humor to it to make it more engaging ... we don’t invite any of our clients, but instead our business partners.” A crowd of close to 150 attended the recent seminar at the Hyatt, the eighth annual event, with the economically themed program “Certain Uncertainty.” The filmed skit — a parody of a nightly news broadcast with interviews — featured the attorneys and staff at Fisher Tousey. The skit transitioned into live experts who gave brief presentations on questions addressed in the film. “We try to give each speaker two minutes maximum to keep things going,” said Fisher. “These are some hard hitting topics and the hope is they (audience members) come away with at least one or two points to take back with them.” The film’s introduction posed Fisher and Chip Tousey as a security guard and janitor — additional jobs in the down economic period — prior to their mock sit-down, which elicited initial laughs and kept the mood light before the heavy-hitting information began. It wasn’t the first time attending for many of the participants, who have kept a relationship with the firm for some time. “I’ve come to these (seminars) for a number of years,” said James Heinz of Heinz & Company, a local certified public accountant firm. “They’re always very well done, educational and always have a lot of humor in them.” Heinz said he always learned a thing or two from the event and through his business relationship with Fisher Tousey, and called the seminar a “can’t miss” event. “It’s very important for us to be here,” he said. Fisher said the turnout has grown over the years, and the event is something others and he always anticipate. “Everyone here is so important to us,” he said. “It’s (the annual seminar) just a way to say ‘Thank you’ to everyone, learn and hopefully have a laugh.” dchapman@baileypub.com 356-2466
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