Get Ready for Tax Time!

Here's an idea that is pretty much guaranteed to get you some television time.

Get out the yellow pages and log onto the internet searching for newspapers in your area. Find mailing addresses, fax numbers, and contacts to send press releases. You should easily be able to find at least 2 or 3 papers even in very rural areas that serve your area. But also seek out local news stations for all the networks and any local cable access stations.

Write a press release announcing that you will be doing strolling magic at the post office on the evening of April 15. You want to create a very catchy title. If you think you can improve on the one provided, fine, but you may want to save yourself the time and just use the enclosed press release as is. Otherwise, feel free to use this one as a format upon which to create your own press release. Include a photo if possible, even if you have to stage it to look like a live performance.

The idea is that every year they do a news story about people paying their taxes at the last minute. You could be a new slant on that old-hat story.

Recommended Reading: "Free Publicity" by Jeff Crilley. This book was written by a newscaster who was tired of people sending in crummy press releases. It details step by step not only HOW to write a great press release that will get you free media coverage, but also WHEN to submit the release, HOW to behave and speak once you get your coverage, and shows you WHY the media outlets NEED you to send in good press releases. They are starving for your story. They WANT to put you on the air, you just have to package it for them in the right way.

Next week you'll be doing your strolling magic for people paying taxes. You need to get ready by going through your magic closets and drawers and pulling out any money tricks that can be done standing up. As an example, you can do the six-bill repeat talking about how all you made last year was 1,2,3,4,5,6 dollars. Then you had to pay 1,2,3 in FICA taxes which left you with 1,2,3,4,5,6 dollars. But then you had to pay 1,2,3 dollars in Social Security taxes, which left you with....you get the idea.

Here's the sample press release. Feel free to use it as you like.


For Immediate Release
Contact Name: [YOUR NAME]
Contact Number: [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]
Contact E-Mail: [YOUR E-MAIL]

MAGICIAN MAKES TAX WORRIES DISAPPEAR

Magician [YOUR NAME] decided to do something a little different this year by making everyone's last minute tax concerns disappear. If you will be paying your taxes at the very last minute, you might want to ask [YOUR NAME] if he can make your tax bill disappear. [YOUR NAME] will be at the [YOUR MAIN POST OFFICE] to help entertain taxpayers as they line up to file their last minute returns.

"I can't make a tax bill disappear" says [YOUR NAME], "But I do try to ease the stress that last minute filing has, especially when it is accompanied by the long lines at the post office."

[YOUR NAME], who primarily performs at [YOUR USUAL VENUE] says that he enjoys the opportunity to perform for people like himself. "I work hard and as a small business owner, I totally understand the frustration that comes from the whole taxation process. But as a citizen, I appreciate the contributions each member of our community puts back, not only in the form of the taxes they pay, but more imporatantly, in the work they do every day to provide products and services to our community." says [YOUR NAME].

"If I can make a few people laugh while they are in line, or go home thinking more about how I made their dollar bill float in their hand [OR WHATEVER EFFECT YOU THINK YOU MAY DO OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE A PICTURE OF] than they do about the huge check they had to send in to the beaurocrats in Washington, then I know I have done my job."

[YOUR NAME] provides this service for free, but it is only at the [YOUR MAIN POST OFFICE, and make sure they are open late on tax night] and only on the evening of April 15, from 8 pm until midnight [OR WHATEVER HOURS YOU DECIDE TO WORK, but it is strongly advised that you don't get started much later than 8 or you will NEVER make the 10 o'clock news, which is something that you really want to strive for] Now, if we can just get to him to make our paychecks double and our tax bills disappear, we'll be set!