In the months since my husband died I have had a lot of advice. Well meaning people have given me indications on subjects as diverse as diet, exercise, prayer...and recently on how to manage financially.
This happened when the first David died too. The number of people giving me advice on how to manage my pensions are growing daily!
Mostly the advice is to go to various accountants who will sort out my tax payments and save me money.
The people offering these helpful names and phone numbers vary from the very rich to the struggling hard up !
It's always the same.....there is the offer of a name and a phone number to talk to a very good chap who will sort everything out for me!
As I have never complained about anything to do with money I am not sure why people feel that I need help from financial advisors....
Several helpful advisors have contacted me....nice people mostly but I have turned them all down!
I have stated my position on tax several times now......I don't mind paying tax! If I am lucky enough to be taxed then I am happy that my money goes to pay for the NHS, the education system, the collection of my dustbins. I am also happy that I can contribute to the welfare of those less lucky than me.
It is the mark of a civilised society that we help those who are disadvantaged in some way, either mentally or physically.
I am aware that some of those people have become adept at playing the system. That does not mean that I begrudge the amount of tax I have to pay.
I will never choose to pay an accountant to save me money. I will not dodge my tax responsibilities.I have benefited from the welfare state all my life...free education, free at the point of use health care. Running a state that cares for the young, the old, the sick and the lazy is expensive... It is a privilege to be able to pay my share!
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3 comments:
Jean, you are brilliant ☺Imagine how wonderful and positive society would be if more saw it this way...
My DH had a company car throughout his career so he paid a lot of tax for this benefit in kind.
We never minded, my view was that the peace of mind that came with these cars could never be taxed, when there was a problem the car department just came up with a temporary car. I had known the worry of my own cars breaking down, usually in the rain on a Friday night, the AA man saying 'Not you again" and the high cost of fuel and servicing.
I like you, deal with the tax man myself. Generally they get it right, sometimes they make mistakes. I've found that being reasonable, and writing to them with all of the facts and supporting documents (copied on my multi-purpose machine) works every time and they make any necessary adjustments to my tax codes.
I'm a person with straight forward fixed income and changes only occur on annual increases of pension and if the chancellor (as he has been doing) increases the tax threshold. Otherwise things are static and I pay my tax, knowing as you, do the benefits that I'm receiving as an outcome including the NHS and social security (which I don't benefit from, but might need sometime) and the knowledge that paying my share is about integrity.
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