Conjuring up Comedy with VAT

An old friend of mine, Ian Keable used to be an accountant. 25 years ago we worked together at what was Touche Ross (now Deloitte.)

Some years later Ian decided to focus on his passion and he has since been a full time 'magical comedian' - and he plays on the fact that he still looks like the archetypal accountant.

His well received one man show is playing all round the UK over the next few months. Click the link to find details of his Conjuring Up Comedy tour.

I love the way Ian notes that VAT is relevant to his one man magic show as it contains Very Amusing Tricks.

Conjuring Up Comedy is a two hour show, including an interval, that Ian has performed all over the country. The first half is about his transition from accountant to magical comedian; the second half is essentially his act as performed today.

For further details about the show, including photographs and reviews, check out http://www.magicalcomedian.co.uk/.

Novel claims for tax deductible expenses

I'd love to see other examples attached as comments to this posting.

Thanks to Keith Deane I've just found out about the a self-employed accountant who worked from home. He claimed that he often received books from clients (especially jobbing builders) that were "covered in muck".

As a result he claimed that he had to constantly wash his hands to rid himself of exclusively business dirt and as such the water so consumed was an essential element of his business activity. Thus the accountant claimed a proportion of his household water bills as being business related.

Now that's novel. What other examples can you suggest?

A new Taxpayers' charter in rhyme

Number one - nowhere to run
Number two - we'll find you
Number three - wait and see
Number four - knock at the door
Number five - skinned alive
Number six - we know your tricks
Number seven- lucky for some
Number eight - don't be late

As drafted by the cartoonist Higgins for 'Colin' on the back cover of Accountancy Age

In a similar vein I'll attempt to complete the list
Number nine - pay the interest and fine
Number ten - don't do it again