It's Christmas! The time for mince-pies, turkey, mulled wine and…
digging about in old papers for the information needed to complete your tax return. You know that you should do it early. You have had plenty of time. Your tax adviser has threatened you with fines and bribed you with fee reductions. But here you are again, rooting through piles of old receipts and looking for lost invoices. You are not alone!
"It's Christmas! The time for mince-pies, turkey, mulled wine…"
So to ease the process and provide some light relief, here are the best (or worst) excuses that HM Revenue & Customs received in 2018 for failing to file a tax return on time:
1. I couldn't file my return on time as my wife has been seeing aliens and won't let me enter the house.
2. I've been far too busy touring the country with my one-man play.
3. My ex-wife left my tax return upstairs, but I suffer from vertigo and can't go upstairs to retrieve it.
4. My business doesn't really do anything.
5. I spilt coffee on it.
HMRC also received some pretty bizarre items that taxpayers tried to expense:
1. A three-piece suite for my partner to sit on when I'm doing my accounts.
2. Birthday drinks at a Glasgow nightclub.
3. Vet fees for a rabbit.
4. Hotel room service – for candles and prosecco.
5. £4.50 for sausage and chips meal expenses…..for 250 days!
Have a wonderful festive holiday. And try not to make the 2019 list!