Archive for the ‘Filthy Lucre’ Category

October27

The Season of Fear

By: Tim Neale

The UK’s Tax Filing Date falls on Halloween – coincidence?

big brother's view

big brother's view

The end of October marks the last day for handing in your tax self assessment forms. Although you can file on-line until the end of January.

And the postal strike makes things more interesting. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) site is not very helpful. It tells you to make sure you post early. No excuse accepted.

I normally avoid everything to do with form filling. I worry about facing fines if I make a mistake. The last two years I had an accountant file my return for me. This year I decided to do it myself. “It can’t be that hard”, I thought. “Save money and get to know my business better.”

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December5

We Know Best

By: Tim Neale

I went out for a few beers last night with Gaz. There was a two-and-a-half percent decrease in VAT on Monday. I was expecting the price of a pint to have dropped. The decrease is part of Gordon Brown’s master plan to get us all to spend more. He wants British consumers to rescue the economy from the mess he and his pals have created.

Anyway, the price of a pint had not gone down. I was outraged and complained to the Wayne the Manager, who patiently explained that they put the duty on beer, wine and spirits up at the same time as they dropped VAT, so the prices stayed the same.

Nanny Gordon knows best and does not want us to drink more. He doesn’t want us to waste our hard earned money on English Ale or Scotch Whisky. We should spend it instead on Chinese made toys.

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November23

Error 099 – We are not giving you your money back

By: Tim Neale

I have had an account with Citibank for a few years.

I never really use it. I can not remember why I opened it. Must have been a special introductory offer of some sort.

Anyway, as the news concerning the bank is not the best, I decided to transfer what little I have in the account out. No chance. Some non-specific problem is preventing the transfer from taking place.

The site advises to , “try again in an hour,” yeah right! At least it is only a few hundred quid tied up.

I presume the UK end of the bank is covered by UK banking insurance.

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June30

The £1400 Five Minute Phone Call

By: Tim Neale

The business buyer should beware in the UK’s energy free-for-all

Dug Heath runs a successful business finishes parts for custom cars and bikes. In July 2007, he moved to premises in Baldock. A month later, he received a phone call from a rep, claiming to be from an electricity metering company. The rep told Dug he was on “emergency rate,” and offered to find Dug a cheaper deal. The rep then transferred the call to BizzEnergy. The pitch had taken no more than five minutes.

A day later, a bill from his current supplier arrived and Dug realised just how big a mistake he had made. The premises was not on emergency rate. “I have now been told that there is no such thing as emergency rate,” says Dug. What is more, the new contract would cost him an extra £6000 over the next four years.

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