Monday, September 24, 2007
"Tax doesn't have to be taxing"
I'd like to say that I've had a fascinating week doing loads of exciting things, but I'd be lying....thanks to the lovely UK tax man.
A Tax Return form turned up in the post quite a a few weeks ago now, and I studiously ignored it. It stared at me for a very long time and visited me in my dreams, but I stood fast and closed my eyes tighter. Eventually, however, it caught me at a weak moment and I opened it.
The first question which sprang to mind when I looked at it was:
Why did the tax man send me the extra pages required for 'Employment' and 'Land and Property', but not 'Non-Residence', when he sent the form to Qatar?
Anyhow, ignoring that, it was the first page of the form that really prompted me into action:
You must get your Tax Return to us by the later of:
* 30 September 2007...if you want us to calculate your tax, or
* 31 January 2008...if you calculate your tax yourself.
I'm all for an easy life, so I thought I'd best get it done pretty damn quick - the end of September is fast approaching. It's the first Tax Return I've had to do, but with a 'little' bit of help from my accountant sister, I managed to fill in the paper copy, then sat down at the computer with a cup of tea to fill it in online.
First you have to register. Fair enough...but then:
Wait to receive an 'Activation PIN' (personal identity number). This is sent through the post.
Through the post?! It takes a month for post to get here, in a month's time it's October. I phoned them up, and discovered that if you fill it in online, you don't need to complete it until 31 January 2008. Is there any reason why they 'forget' to mention that anywhere?
Anyway, the panic was over, so I registered, and am now waiting for my pin to arrive. However, the fun isn't over yet. An automated email told me that my PIN was on its way, and contained the following information:
YOUR ACTIVATION PIN WILL EXPIRE AFTER 28 DAYS, SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE USE OF IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Hilariously, the PIN number will have expired BEFORE it even arrives here.
I rang them again.
"No," said David the taxman, "there's nothing we can do about it."
Brilliant.
A Tax Return form turned up in the post quite a a few weeks ago now, and I studiously ignored it. It stared at me for a very long time and visited me in my dreams, but I stood fast and closed my eyes tighter. Eventually, however, it caught me at a weak moment and I opened it.
The first question which sprang to mind when I looked at it was:
Why did the tax man send me the extra pages required for 'Employment' and 'Land and Property', but not 'Non-Residence', when he sent the form to Qatar?
Anyhow, ignoring that, it was the first page of the form that really prompted me into action:
You must get your Tax Return to us by the later of:
* 30 September 2007...if you want us to calculate your tax, or
* 31 January 2008...if you calculate your tax yourself.
I'm all for an easy life, so I thought I'd best get it done pretty damn quick - the end of September is fast approaching. It's the first Tax Return I've had to do, but with a 'little' bit of help from my accountant sister, I managed to fill in the paper copy, then sat down at the computer with a cup of tea to fill it in online.
First you have to register. Fair enough...but then:
Wait to receive an 'Activation PIN' (personal identity number). This is sent through the post.
Through the post?! It takes a month for post to get here, in a month's time it's October. I phoned them up, and discovered that if you fill it in online, you don't need to complete it until 31 January 2008. Is there any reason why they 'forget' to mention that anywhere?
Anyway, the panic was over, so I registered, and am now waiting for my pin to arrive. However, the fun isn't over yet. An automated email told me that my PIN was on its way, and contained the following information:
YOUR ACTIVATION PIN WILL EXPIRE AFTER 28 DAYS, SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE USE OF IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Hilariously, the PIN number will have expired BEFORE it even arrives here.
I rang them again.
"No," said David the taxman, "there's nothing we can do about it."
Brilliant.
Friday, September 14, 2007
The Post Office
Back home, you wouldn't take visitors to the Post Office for a good day out...but this isn't England!
Some of my friends came over to visit me, so I took them to 'post a letter'. Of course we weren't really posting a letter, we were going to be on a stamp. You don't have to be dead or Royalty to be on a stamp here, oh no...
In fact it gets better, they provide you with burkas and dishdashes, so you can even dress up!
Here's our little beauty:
So there we were, all dressed up and acting like 5 year-olds, and the Post Office lass pulls out her mobile and says to me, "You do weather on Al Jazeera. Can I have photo?"
Some of my friends came over to visit me, so I took them to 'post a letter'. Of course we weren't really posting a letter, we were going to be on a stamp. You don't have to be dead or Royalty to be on a stamp here, oh no...
In fact it gets better, they provide you with burkas and dishdashes, so you can even dress up!
Here's our little beauty:
So there we were, all dressed up and acting like 5 year-olds, and the Post Office lass pulls out her mobile and says to me, "You do weather on Al Jazeera. Can I have photo?"
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
The Taste Test Challenge
On Thursday I was invited to a party. Instead of ‘bring your own bottle’ it was ‘bring your own dinner’; Everyone had to bring a traditional dish from their own country.
Neha heard I was coming and nearly killed herself laughing, “What are you going to bring? Bread? That’s the only thing English people eat!”
The weight of British cuisine was on my shoulders...which is frankly a worry as I can't cook for toffee.
I called in the help of the trusty pie.
Steak and kidney was out, as I hate kidneys. And Steak and Ale had to take a back seat too, the Ale part not going down too well with the locals. So Lamb and Rosemary it was.
Personally I thought it was delicious, but then I have a cast iron stomache after cooking for myself for however-many years. However, I don't think it went down too well with the others...I figured it wasn't a good sign when a few people pointed at the topping and asked what it was. What do you mean you've never heard of puff pastry?!
After eating so much we felt sick, we voted for our favourite dishes. I got one vote (surprisingly!), but fighting for first place were Ahmad with his Lebanese Tabouleh and Kwassar with her Egyptian Salad.
Ahmad won in the end, 7 votes to 6, and was awarded the prize...
...before admitting to CHEATING! He'd voted for himself!
It just goes to show you can't trust anyone these days.
(Nobody mention ready-to-roll pastry)
Neha heard I was coming and nearly killed herself laughing, “What are you going to bring? Bread? That’s the only thing English people eat!”
The weight of British cuisine was on my shoulders...which is frankly a worry as I can't cook for toffee.
I called in the help of the trusty pie.
Steak and kidney was out, as I hate kidneys. And Steak and Ale had to take a back seat too, the Ale part not going down too well with the locals. So Lamb and Rosemary it was.
Personally I thought it was delicious, but then I have a cast iron stomache after cooking for myself for however-many years. However, I don't think it went down too well with the others...I figured it wasn't a good sign when a few people pointed at the topping and asked what it was. What do you mean you've never heard of puff pastry?!
After eating so much we felt sick, we voted for our favourite dishes. I got one vote (surprisingly!), but fighting for first place were Ahmad with his Lebanese Tabouleh and Kwassar with her Egyptian Salad.
Ahmad won in the end, 7 votes to 6, and was awarded the prize...
...before admitting to CHEATING! He'd voted for himself!
It just goes to show you can't trust anyone these days.
(Nobody mention ready-to-roll pastry)
