1% Progress
One again I’m sitting here at the last minute, ankle deep in bank statements doing absolutely anything other than actually filling in the blanks on my online tax return.
I looked in the cupboard to see if Moira Stewart was going to give me some words of encouragement, but all I found was biscuits. That’s probably a win then.
The (bastard) banks are phasing out cheques as you know, and I foresee something the (bastard) bankers may not have, or have and don’t care for mentioning. As a business I accept all forms of payment except credit and debit cards, I have used PayPal on occasion, BACS is simple, cheques are easy and help book-keeping and of course there’s cash.
Now small businesses dealing with the public, joiners, electricians etc almost always get paid by cheque or cash, few of us have swipe machines in our vans for cards, and not many punters want to set up an electronic payment account for getting their heating fixed.
So when cheques are dead, unless the banks are going to hand out card readers and drop any charges associated with accepting that form of payment, it’ll be cash for all. In fact, how many businesses will go all cash? Suddenly they’re paying for materials as well as getting paid in cash, and within a couple of years we’ve got a black economy where the money is untraceable and self employed people are dropping off the tax radar in their thousands.
It’s going to be as funny as hell when the government had to fund the poor (bastard) banks panicked reintroduction of cheques to save the economy. Again.
I dunno, is it time for a revolution yet?
On another, related note, I hope that soon the technology of paying with your cellphone will be embraced by the banks, that would be a step in the right direction. Oh, and I want an app for managing my bank account as well =)
As for tax it is what it is. Unavoidable and one last point. That is rather a good photo. Where, when, time, and what settings ? I will get my coat.
Hendrik, if everybody signed up for PayPal, we could do all our financial dealing by phone. Customers could by by mobile phone and you coula have a cup of tea while you wait for the receipt to come through to your phone.
Martin, that’s Loch Venacher again from last Saturday, with Ben Venue at the far right. The ripples are from Holly throwing a stone :o)
It’s the LX3 on “Sunset” with a wide angle setting, it really brings out the colours. I love my wee camera!
Did you actually progress to over 1%?!
As for “… and within a couple of years we’ve got a black economy where the money is untraceable and self employed people are dropping off the tax radar in their thousands.”
– you know that what the goverment will actually do then is just make cash digitally traceable – pretty soon, the taxman will be able to point a handheld device at your matress and tell you exactly how much dosh your hiding under it and in what denominations.
Tax Return now 100%. I’ll check it again in the morning and file it.
Alright!
Having said that, they are only just getting around to chip’n'pin. Normally you can sign anything and they never even look at it!
In the temperatures you’re at how about Chocolate Fish’s Tuara? It’s double thickness and holds it’s shape much better.