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Any time I say I'm an accountant, I follow it with "but I don't do taxes".
That takes care of most of it. That's usually what most people want help with. For others, I usually listen to their issues/ questions, but have found they get disinterested quickly once you start talking nuts and bolts.
I do taxes but I’ve laughingly told any family and friends that have asked that I don’t do personal income taxes and that, in fact, my firm reimburses me for TurboTax so that I don’t try to do them myself. That usually ends the conversation without hurting anyone’s feelings. It’s also the truth. I know close to nothing about individual income taxes. If that response doesn’t work, then I tell them to turn themselves into a c-corp and then we can maybe talk.
Hahah good one
I just say “I’m fully specialized in auditing publicly traded companies, I don’t have the specific knowledge to provide advice for personal or small business bookkeeping or taxes” and then I add a little bump of “you wouldn’t go to a heart surgeon for a foot surgery, and similarly I’m not the best person to ask for these items”
I totally get the frustration; I've been there! You're not alone in this. Just go "I appreciate your trust in me, but I need to keep my professional services separate from personal relationships. Maybe I can recommend a great accountant who might be able to help you." End of story.
I tell them that I can do them the same way I do mine - online. Thru a software. Just as easy as they can. Usually they back down after that. If they don’t - I say it’s a 100 fee to enter their info for them haha
You can politely explain that your expertise is part of your livelihood and that you need to prioritize paid work. Or even offer alternative solutions, like recommending affordable resources or providing limited guidance without doing the work for them.
I send them a turbo tax link and an invoice for 15 min
After being told a tricky tax situation, I once fully seriously responded “You should talk to a CPA.” They responded “I thought I was” quizzically. I clarified a different one bc all I knew was it sounded complicated but that’s where my help ended.