Wednesday 6 April 2011

New Tax Year Starts Today

Yep it's the start of the new tax year of 2011/2012 and I am now waiting for my tax forms for last year to arrive having already worked out all the figures I need to complete them. Technicality I have made one payment toward the balance of my last years tax bill. The "Tax Man" (sorry I am not PC) always sends out a guesstimated statement in advance, of which I pay half in January and the second half in July, if when you submit your taxes you owe more than the guesstimate amount you pay the difference in the following January. What happens if you are owed money I can only guess at as I have never been in that situation. (You probably have the choice of a payment to your chosen bank account or a credit payment towards your next tax bill)
It was in about 2003 or 2004 when I got a call in about August from the HMRC (the tax man) to say that I owed £££ for the last tax year and I needed to pay immediately. Of cause I didn't have the money and told them so, to which I was told to take out a loan to pay the bill - which I did. Refinancing a loan I was currently paying off at the time in the process, all part of building my debt balance to the spine chilling £20k that got me blogging and looking for ways to get debt free.

Taxes are not fun but we all have to pay for the services etc, that we sometimes just take for granted. Whether you like the government or not taxes still have to be paid.

Personally I am happy that the current UK government is trying to pay down the countries debts - the sooner they do it the better for everyone but as I know from personal experience; it takes time, it's not easy and it means missing out on all those little treats that got me into debt in the first place.

No comments: