"more like dead horses"

I envision people running in circles like chickens with their heads just cut off.

I don't understand why everyone is so hot-to-trot, when the IRS isn't even receiving until mid-Feb and the programs are not finalized. I know what it is like to want to meet deadlines, but being ahead of the software and the receiving agency means everyone should calm down. Look at last year; you no longer get to file the majority of the returns by mid-April, then take off a few weeks. What is going to happen this year? You should be resting now, in preparation for the upcoming slog. Take A Break; you deserve it.