This is Planet Money from NPR.

I found an old accounting joke the other day on the Wisconsin Small Business Development

Center website.

The joke is somewhat better than that set up makes it sound, but here goes.

Three accountants are interviewing for an entry-level position.

The CFO asks the first candidate, what's 1 plus 1?

The candidate responds to.

The CFO shows them the door.

Candidate 2 is asked the same question, same answer, same response, same outcome.

Finally, it is candidate 3's turn.

What's 1 plus 1?

Leaning forward in her chair, she says, what do you want it to be?

And that is what we are talking about today.

How accountants find ways to use the tax code.

Finding little loopholes and provisions to help people avoid paying taxes they don't

actually have to pay.

But because if the tax code says you can do a thing, you can do the thing.

Listener Mike, who is a tax attorney and accountant, actually explains this for us.

Take it away Mike.

A tax payer can arrange their affairs to make their taxes as low as possible and there is

not even a patriotic duty to increase taxes.

That ethos has given me a career in helping clients arrange their affairs to only pay the

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