I Am A Moron

[liadnan]

In my pigeonhole this morning:

"Dear [Liadnan]
On your recent VAT return you entered X in box 3 as your gross VAT for the quarter and in box 4 that you were reclaiming Y as VAT on purchases in the quarter. However, the figure you then entered in box 5 as the sum due to HMCE, Z, for which you also sent us a cheque* is 1000 pounds more than X-Y. We suggest you may have omitted to carry a 1 in the thousands and return your form for correction.
Love,
Her Majesty's Commissioners of Customs and Excise.

Or words to that effect.

As I said to the pleasant lady in Cardiff on the phone, this goes some way to explaining why I'm quite so poor this month.

*Which they have cashed. Obvs.

Comments

[nicnac.livejournal.com]

Doh! Never mind, at least you have an unexpected £1000 to spend on good wine place in your savings account.

[liadnan]

Dull though it may be, I really am going to do the latter.. I had to rob Peter (in the shape of the money theoretically set aside for Her Majesty's Commissioners of Inland Revenue come Jan 31st) to pay Paul.

Some call me fiscally irresponsible. I prefer to think of it as "highly geared" and/or "focussed on things above mere commerce". This is why I rent a studio instead of owning a flat.

[nicnac.livejournal.com]

Some call me fiscally irresponsible

Nooo, surely you just place your wealth in alternative investments, such as books; fine wine and ....erm... art. I'm not surprised you don't own property, living in London!*

I do sympathise; They say that financial consultants have the worst finances of anyone and I'm living proof :)

* BTW, I've been tipped the wink that Woolwich is a good place to buy if you do get round to looking - the Docklands Light Railway should be linked there in 2007 and it will be but a short hop to the City. You can always rent it out so you don't have to live there :)

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

Well, you are a 1000 pound richer now. :)

ditto

[nikandra.livejournal.com]

look at the bright side!

[fi.livejournal.com]

Don't you just love these unexpected windfalls? Even if they're entirely self-caused...

[sshi.livejournal.com]

That's a damn sight better than the grovelling letter that I got from the AIB this morning, which consisted of something along the lines of 'We have been consistently ripping off our customers on bank charges, foreign exchange charges and anything else we could think of for the last thirty years. We have now been caught and are really, really sorry. Honest. Here's a refund of 30euro. See, we're so good. Don't switch banks, please?'.

[adjectivegail]

*ignorant* Who're AIB? And, I trust you're changing...?

[sshi.livejournal.com]

Sorry, Allied Irish Banks, one of the two main Irish banks.

I'm seriously considering it, family loyalty aside - both uncle and grandfather worked there. Come to think of it, they're probably both spinning in their graves at the recent carry-on...