tax induced dying gurgles....

[macloudt at yahoo.co.uk]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Tabouli" <tabouli at u...> wrote:
> glUuurghHhglgglglglg...
> 
> 2:45am and I've finally finally finally struggled my way through 
the impenetrable maze that is the Income Tax Return statement, having 
spent approximately 6 hours of downloading and reading and cross-
referencing and swearing at "help" files and "guides" 
and "supplements" and "tax software" all with long identification 
codes like NAT 3416-8.2000 which seem to have been written by some 
unholy cross between an accountant, a lawyer and a Dictionary of 
Undefined but Extremely Important Obscure Financial Terms Which We 
Change Every Year Just So You Don't Get Bored.
> 
> Is every other country's tax system as user-offensive as 
Australia's?  

:::::Mary Ann passes a 2 litre bottle of Somerset cider to Tabouli 
through the monitor:::::

Here in England, people who have to fill in their own tax forms are 
those who own their own businesses.  People like myself--domestic 
goddess with part-time job--and my husband--full-time postman--have 
taxes automatically deducted from wages and any other income.  No 
paperwork needed.

:::::Mary Ann ducks as Tabouli hurls the half-empty bottle at her 
head:::::

In Canada, though, everyone over the age of 18 must fill out a yearly 
form.  It was never a big deal in our house because my dad (now 
retired) was a corporate tax lawyer and actually *understood* all 
that gobbledygook (there's another fun word for you!).  Being a 
student with part-time jobs I just got a single, 2-sided form to fill 
in...which I *still* managed to screw up every year!  "Daaadddd..."  
My Dad's forms--of which there were many--were horribly complicated, 
but he breezed through it.

One year we got our own back, though.  Dad had completed all the 
forms, double/triple/quadruple-checked everything, put everything in 
the envelope, sealed it...and spilled an entire glass of port all 
over it.  My brother and I threated to claim tax relief for being the 
kids of an alcoholic!!

Mary Ann
(Ow...those bottles *hurt*...)