Schools Part II

[Baron von Lotsov]

If the letter was recorded at a higher level it was because you wrote in block letters and used green ink on Woolworths lined paper. You were therefore labelled a nut and the letter passed on to a higher.



If you want to do anything in this life keep matters simple. That way your tax affairs are handled at the lowest level by an AO who will simply tick the boxes and send you a refund. Screeds of paper explaining how clever you are and dim everyone else is will give some minor clerk a moment of quiet amusement, but ultimately it slows everything down.

It had unfortunately gone beyond simple and was a letter which required legal expertise to deal with. It was quite right that it should have moved up a level, or indeed several levels bearing in mind the stupid cow the director was. You see through legal force I was making them explain themselves, and even the director could not make a sensible job of that. I think the judge at the end of the line was in total disbelief at the utter incompetence of the whole thing to the point where his comments could be seen as somewhat sarcastic. I read tons of legal cases and got a very clear understanding of how the higher level judges think and deal with matters. On the whole these judges are sound. If there is one ray of light, it is that if you persist, you will get a fair man look at it eventually. I mean you get humans at the end of the line, not robots running erroneous code.

[Borchester]

You were lucky. When I sent a letter it was recorded on their system, then passed up to a higher level and there it sat forever. I never got a reply. That's how it is, if you write such a letter.

If the letter was recorded at a higher level it was because you wrote in block letters and used green ink on Woolworths lined paper. You were therefore labelled a nut and the letter passed on to a higher.



If you want to do anything in this life keep matters simple. That way your tax affairs are handled at the lowest level by an AO who will simply tick the boxes and send you a refund. Screeds of paper explaining how clever you are and dim everyone else is will give some minor clerk a moment of quiet amusement, but ultimately it slows everything down.

[T00ts]

Fair point.



If you get your tax return wrong and then HMRC will soon tell you about it. The most you can expect is a snotty letter and that won't kill you. On the other hand, several times when I was working for HMRC I had taxpayers ring up and agree to our estimates because it was still cheaper than paying their accountants.

I must confess I employed an accountant for over 30 years and over that time he became a personal friend. Luckily for him I was a very good record keeper and thus kept his fees to a minimum. It was still easier for me to have him in the 'cupboard' and I actually think he earned his fees.

[Baron von Lotsov]

I sent a letter to HMRC about my wife's early retirement due to ill health, as she was still paying tax on various private pensions. Six Months later my wife got a big rebate, and got the next one a few weeks ago. (Nearly £700 both times.)

No form filling was needed.

You were lucky. When I sent a letter it was recorded on their system, then passed up to a higher level and there it sat forever. I never got a reply. That's how it is, if you write such a letter.

[Borchester]

...or an aching back!  :roll:

There is another factor. The one that says if I do my tax return and get it wrong   , but if you get it wrong  :kikass:

Fair point.



If you get your tax return wrong and then HMRC will soon tell you about it. The most you can expect is a snotty letter and that won't kill you. On the other hand, several times when I was working for HMRC I had taxpayers ring up and agree to our estimates because it was still cheaper than paying their accountants.

[T00ts]

On the subject of what schools should teach, I agree that students should learn how to use a bank a/c, and general economic essentials - saving principles, pension provision, borrowing/interest and basic Mr Macawber theories of life.

[papasmurf]

I sent a letter to HMRC about my wife's early retirement due to ill health, as she was still paying tax on various private pensions. Six Months later my wife got a big rebate, and got the next one a few weeks ago. (Nearly £700 both times.)

No form filling was needed.

[Baron von Lotsov]

I understand their predicament perfectly. Every communication i sent to bstards was reviewed by myself about seven times, checking every detail of the text to make sure nothing can be inferred by an crook, like i say one thing and they claim it means something else, no matter how unlikely that would be in normal reasonable discourse. Still though the bstards would try and screw me and would not admit their crimes. Eventually a judge told them.



I know if I took it to a "tax specialist" who quoted me £5000- £10 000 just for the first bit of work to get the bstards to admit their crimes then they would understand. Me thinks said tax expert is a retired version of what i was dealing with.

[T00ts]

A mate of mine is busily pulling down chunks of his pension pot and every year he pitches up, grovels and asks me to sort out his tax rebate. And I sigh and tell him to leave it with me and he is pathetically grateful and shows his gratitude by trying to clear up the wilderness that is my allotment.



The point is that the whole business takes about ten minutes (claiming the rebate that is, not clearing my allotment) if I include putting the kettle on and brewing up some coffee. But my friend thinks it is magic. And so to do a lot of other folk. They are smart, can build houses and drive motor cars and write songs and all manner of other things, But they are literally terrified of any sort of paperwork.



So I figure that the once kids have been taught to read, write and count, they ought to be show how to complete a SA100, P55 and such. They are easy enough and it will save them telephone numbers in the years to come

...or an aching back!  :roll:

There is another factor. The one that says if I do my tax return and get it wrong   , but if you get it wrong  :kikass:

[Borchester]

A mate of mine is busily pulling down chunks of his pension pot and every year he pitches up, grovels and asks me to sort out his tax rebate. And I sigh and tell him to leave it with me and he is pathetically grateful and shows his gratitude by trying to clear up the wilderness that is my allotment.



The point is that the whole business takes about ten minutes (claiming the rebate that is, not clearing my allotment) if I include putting the kettle on and brewing up some coffee. But my friend thinks it is magic. And so to do a lot of other folk. They are smart, can build houses and drive motor cars and write songs and all manner of other things, But they are literally terrified of any sort of paperwork.



So I figure that the once kids have been taught to read, write and count, they ought to be show how to complete a SA100, P55 and such. They are easy enough and it will save them telephone numbers in the years to come