Taxing matters

After ignoring that gnawing feeling inside and the ever-present item on my 'To Do' list for at least a month, I finally got down to get my tax affairs in order for 2010 - 2011 yesterday. It took me pretty much all day. This is partly because I spent a good hour trying to find my P45 from last October when I changed my status from employee to self-employed at the firm I work at in Edinburgh.

The problem turned out to be that the said P45 was not the same shape and design as my wage packets, like they used to be in the NHS. No this one was two A4 sheets in an envelope. And where did I find it? Exactly where it should have been in the file marked 'Accounts', it's just that I'd completely overlooked it and only when I started taking everything out and checking all envelopes, admittedly with a slight sense of panic arising, did I find the offending item. I was mightily relieved.

I think a lot of my problems with getting my accounts together for last year are because I had four jobs that all had slightly different things that needed taken care of accounting wise, and because the jobs ran into each other where some weeks I was working 8 days a week and was totally exhausted, I didn't take as much care to fill in my monthly figures as I've done in the past. I'm making sure that doesn't happen again... that is both the 8 days per week and the non-filling of monthly figures, though being honest here, I've already slipped a couple of months and so will spend time catching up this month, so that by this time next year I'm already done and dusted.

Once I'd finished for the day I had little time to walk the dog and then get over to my bowls competition with the Club President, so things felt a bit rushed, which didn't help my bowls any. I started off pretty badly and lost 10 in the first four ends, but after that I think I gave him a reasonable game. He won of course, but I did get 8 points (to his 21), which pleased me greatly as my goal was to get 1 point, so I exceeded that by... well by 7 obviously! Still he was pleased and I spent a pleasant hour afterwards, armed with gin and tonics (yes, plural) with him and his fiancee, which was a nice way to end the day.

I have another competition tomorrow, with my pal JT from Perthshire. Last year we made the semi's, which was none of my doing I can assure you. And then on Tuesday I have my final competition of the year against one of the best players in the Club. Another match where my aim is for 1 point I feel. Still with my tax affairs in order I might not be quite so tired... I live in hope!