Regardless of the sincerity of your friends and other professional acquaintances, such as your hairdresser/barber, plumber, landscaper or electrician ... they do not know the details and pitfalls of the Internal Revenue Code.
You do not want to be the "poster child" for what can go wrong by filing a tax return based upon the tax counsel of your barber.
Chris Hardy, an Enrolled Agent in Georgia, “The comments have changed from ‘my hairdresser’ or ‘my neighbor’ to ‘Google said’ and ‘this online message board said ...’ Same hearsay, just a different venue.”
That will definitely be the case when dealing with real estate, partnership or S-corporation basis, debt vs equity and even itemized vs standard deductions.
Certified Public Accountants don't cut hair ... your barber should not provide tax advice!!