Thursday 9 March 2017

Taxation?

Yesterday after listening to the budget proposals I went off to visit a very old friend. Another old friend arrived shortly after me and we talked briefly about the effects of the budget.
This morning the radio is also going on at length about the new rules.
I am very ignorant on these details. I am ashamed of how little I understand much of what I hear.
Last year I got home after a cruise to find a letter from the Inland revenue telling me I had underpaid and I owed them quite a lot of money.
After a long chat on the phone with a very reasonable lady I agreed a monthly sum to be paid off over three years.
I had made the point that I had never filled in a tax form so any mistake was theirs not mine! And with any luck I'd have died before I'd finished paying off my debt!
The other two ladies I talked to yesterday had employed accountants to sort out their tax.
I have always taken the view that I would rather the money went to the government than a person dedicated to saving me money.
I don't mind paying tax....I am fortunate to be able to do so but I find myself this morning wondering if maybe I do need some advice...
The bottom line here is that for me paying tax is not punitive..
Taxing those who live on their pensions should be uncomplicated.
But I expect to pay and to take steps to avoid it goes against everything I care about.
Taxation is the way a civilised society can look after those less fortunate..
It pays for our health needs, our schools, our police and all the things that a well balanced community needs.
The trouble is that I have no idea whether what I pay is the right amount...I just have to trust that someone somewhere knows what they are doing..and pay up gladly....
I have several names and phone numbers of people dedicated to helping old women with their finances...but it goes against the grain. I may yet change my mind......but not yet!






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1 comment:

UKViewer said...

I keep an eye on my tax, as being retired I am on a fixed income and as all of my pensions come from the government, the HMRC has a pipeline into them and gets the earnings right.

But it's complicated by my membership of three professional institutions, which I retain an interest in and pay, tax deductible, annual subscriptions. And I also receive dividends from investments (not huge and below the level of needing to be declared, but declared anyway). I don't fill in a tax form, just send a letter with evidence attached to my tax office and they do all the adjustments. They have now got the stage of estimating my additional income and outgoings and I don't need to write, as they are accurate. I get a yearly statement in advance of the tax year, with a notice of coding, which I can query quickly by phone if needed.

My spouse on the other hand.....