Are you comfortable giving free professional advice?

So if you belong to a profession, are you comfortable when asked for your expert advice for free? Or do you feel a sense of liability if you are asked to dole out free advice?

I have 2 undergraduate degrees – civil engineering and accounting. Even though I’ve never practiced civil engineering and barely passed my classes, I still get questions from my mom and relatives about constructions and how-to’s on repairs and fixes around the house. “I am not a handyman,” I told them repeatedly.

Then when I completed my accounting degree, whenever my mom and I would dine out in the Chinese restaurant where we’re regular customers, the owner of the restaurant would saunter over to our table seeking tax advice from me. “I don’t do taxes,” I wanted to say but my mom always cut me off and told him, “we’ll have to research about it.”

That’s not the only person. When my mom tells her friend I’m an “accountant”, everyone assumes I know everything about taxes and would begin relaying questions from her to me to answer. Also, you would not believe how many times my aunts and uncles asked to find ways to pay “less” taxes. The thing is there is none. You either pay it now or you pay it later or risk audit, your choice. There, that’s a free advice.

The answer to the question is no, I’m not comfortable with giving free advice to anyone and I’m not an expert in neither fields I’m supposed to had gotten a college education in. I also don’t really work in either field. I deal with accounts receivable, meaning I only do incoming money reconciliation. I don’t deal with taxes, corporate or otherwise. The only way I know how to file personal taxes is through a software with step-by-step guidance. So don’t ask me anything on that because I will answer right back with a “I don’t know.”

#SundayPoser