The unavoidable

Today was all about tax. This year, the tax people have decided we need to self assess. Fortunately it can be done online. Actually, it’s easier to do it online AND the tax return can be sent in later…so you get more time. And there’s no forms to fill in…well, with a pen, anyway.

Last week I organised to see an accountant today. She then rang to say she couldn’t make it. She must have a lot of work to be able to knock back our accounting needs.

I went back to the drawing board and found a local accountancy firm who were more than happy to take our business. And, then, today I met with Colin.

What a lovely man! Okay, he’s no lion tamer but he seems like an expert in all things taxation. Given there were no lions in the vicinity, his tax skills were much more appreciated.

We sat and discussed everything that needs to be done. He reckons we can file before the due date (quite handy) and wasn’t at all perturbed. He did give me a couple of tasks, which involve various things we could possibly use to offset our tax. I gave him a sheaf of papers, which he copied, and bid him adieu.

Back at home, I retired to the office, the poodles taking refuge from the rain behind me, and transported myself to spreadsheet heaven. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: I really LOVE spreadsheets. When you have a brain that fumbles around numbers like mine does, a spreadsheet is like having a spare head.

When I spoke to Mirinda in the afternoon (she was still at her conference) she mentioned something else that I should mention to Colin. This was a bit irritating. Like Utopia, any job I start seems to never end with all the extra bits added on. I begrudgingly acquiesced.

This meant more spreadsheet manipulation. At least I had all the figures. It was just a case of reformatting, really. Even so, it took me all the way to dinner time.

When I returned to the house, I found a message on the phone from Colin. He was asking for the information that Mirinda had suggested we ask him about. Not a waste of time, then. Well done, Mirinda.

Somewhere in the middle of the day, I took the poodles up to the park during the only brief lull in the rain. Otherwise it was all spreadsheets.