Paying tax with a smile

 At the end of a serious tax investigation, the Inspector of Taxes announced that the taxpayer owed over £10,000.  The Inspector continued: "You know, paying tax is your civic duty and you should be proud to do what's right. I'd like to see you settle your liability with a smile."

To which the recalcitrant taxpayer replied: "Thank Goodness for that. I thought you'd want money."

Thanks to Mike Thexton for this old joke.

What do the initials HMRC really stand for?

 In the UK we recognise 'HMRC' as standing for His Majesty's Revenue and Customs - the body created by the merger of Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise in 2005. 

What else might the letters represent?  Officially the answers are:

• Health Management Research Center (University of Michigan) 
• Human Mobility Research Centre (Queen’s University and Kingston General Hospital partnership; Ontario, Canada) 
• Helicopter Multi-Role Computer 
• Hierarchical Maximal Ratio Combining 
• His Majesty's Royal Communications (Jordan)

But let's be more inventive: 

• Help Me Recover Cash
  Hiding My Rewards Carefully
• Holding My Rewards Callously
• How Might Rhianna Cover-up?
• Hold My Rubber Chicken

Can you do better?

Ten dodgy tax tips best ignored

 

1. Make a loss - you only pay tax on profits
2. Live on a boat and claim you're 'offshore' for tax purposes
3. Don't worry about getting receipts 
4. Yes, we can rewrite the past and pretend you did things that you didn't really do
5. Stick with Apple devices to avoid the Windows tax
6. Less fasteners, more adhesive.... is a great way to reduce tacks
7. Remove your number plates so the DVLA cameras can’t catch you
8. Pay your employees in chocolate coins – it’s a sweet deal for everyone
9. Claim your garden gnomes as security personnel
10. Set up a fake moustache business so you can disguise your profits

Free tax advice?

Years ago I heard a great story that accountant Keith Lawrence assured me was true.

He had taken an initial phone call from someone wanting help with their tax. 

After a brief conversation Keith invited them in to meet with him to see if he could help (and to see if he wanted to take them on as a client). 

On their arrival the 'client' looked around and expressed a little surprise that the office was smaller than he'd expected. He was also surprised to learn that Keith was an accountant as well as a tax adviser. The client just wanted tax advice. 

They sat down together and the 'client' started to explain his tax problem. When Keith raised the question of fees the 'client' was shocked. He'd assumed that tax advice was free. 

After a few moments it then became apparent to Keith why the 'client' was so confused. He thought he had called The tax office. HMRC.

If Pointless asked 100 Tax Inspectors......

Pointless is a popular British TV quiz show where contestants try to find the most obscure correct answers to general knowledge questions. 

The aim is to score the fewest points, with the best answers being those that no one else has thought of. 

Normally the questions are tested on a random group of 100 people.

But imagine if the questions were tested on HMRC staff.

Alexander Armstrong might then have to say:

"We asked 100 tax inspectors to name an obscure expense that qualifies for tax relief"

What might be the pointless answers?

Other questions that might be asked of the same group of tax inspectors include:

"We asked 100 tax inspectors to name their favourite Chancellor"

"We asked 100 tax inspectors to identify their least favourite tax loophole?"

"We asked 100 tax inspectors to name their favourite tax case"

What might be the pointless answers in each case do you think?