The Work Thread 2 - Get back to work!

[Red]

Finished my self-assessment tax return so time for my yearly scream into the void at the clusterfuck that is that online system.

Would it really kill them to do a basic edit for clarity and sense? Why do I need to tell them my name every year? Why does really basic info that never changes not autopopulate? I wasn't a fisherman or whatever born before 1935 last year so chances are I'm not this year either.

And the final insult, if I owe them tax I have to pay by 31st Jan, but as this time they owe me money 'don't chase us for it until four weeks have passed'.

Oh well, it's done, and I look forward to my £150 rebate arriving at some point in the next six months. Drinks are on me.

[Jenuall]

Yeah it's a strawberry floating awful system isn't it. The whole thing is clearly designed to confuse people and grind them down!

[Red]

It always leaves me stressed that I've just misunderstood something and not answered correctly and that they will come knocking. I don't understand why they make it so hard to figure out what you owe them.

[Memento Mori]

I pay £32 a year for Taxcalc when I need to do a return. You can import the previous year's return so the basic stuff will pre-populate and then it will submit electronically to HMRC at the end if there are no obvious errors. There's also help which explains what each field means.

[Red]

Sounds good, they've definitely identified a service that people will be crying out for - although I think for me it wouldn't be worth paying for as my turnover is pretty low and it is (technically) pretty straightforward, just frustrating.

[Memento Mori]

I'm generally doing returns for multiple members of my family who can't do it themselves so they share the cost between them. The £32 Individual license covers 6 different tax returns.

[Green Gecko]

I just want them to update the strawberry floating thing to the Gov.UK branding guidelines so it's at least slightly less horrible to look at and read.

I'm not entirely sure if it's actually there yet due to Covid delays or whatever but my cloud accounts software Xero is introducing UK electronic self assessment submissions this year or at least was meant to so that'll be good. I don't file a company return because I'm not a company so it's kind of annoying there's less support for electronically filing a personal tax assessment in the UK (whereas it is supported in some other countries).

I've done basically the exact same return about 6 times now so it generally only takes me a couple of hours overall, it's mostly splitting out stuff that's nil profit or loss like GR (actually technically it's a loss) and my business that takes time because I have to file them all as seperate trading names which means splitting out my actual sole trading accounts into two seperate profit/loss accounts, only for the system to add it back together anyway.

You guys do do the simplified return right? You only need to enter your revenue and your expenses that way, there's no need to file the full return. Does ask a bunch of questions but it's basically, do you make money from dividends no do you make me money from property no do you have capital assets exceeding blahblah no do you have a pension no or whatever the strawberry float else it is, the answer is almost always "no" for everything

I sometimes have to decide what I want to claim as a capital allowance versus an expense but it doesn't make much difference anyway.

What I'm avoiding saying is no I haven't done it yet (but my accounts are already complete for last tax year) and I have 3 more work days including today together with some actual real work be doing, joy. I do love how many times HMRC texts me saying, "Don't wait until Jan 31, do it NOW." I swear it just makes me put it off even more. If it's on time, it's on time, like pretty much everything else in business. Sure I do some things early but telling the government yet again I've made no profit this year is not someting I particularly enjoy doing.

[Red]

Self-isolation over today after one of my work colleagues in my away accommodation flat tested positive for covid. Back to Hull on Monday, although it is hard to be too thrilled about that right now. Glad that I don't seem to have caught it, I guess that means our workplace and accommodation measures are somewhat effective. Still a bit stressful though. They did give us full pay (minus subs and overtime) so the hit isn't going to be too bad.

Everyone kicked off over safety last week while I was off, the union got involved, but it looks like the outcome was no change so tough gooseberry fool. Might be time to start looking at other contracts, digging skeletons is a bit monotonous anyway, although with the overtime the pay is pretty good and the actual experience I've gained has been invaluable.

[Rocsteady]

Had 'open to work' on my LI profile for months and finally got a call from a recruiter a few days with what sounds like a great managerial opportunity.

Should have a call with the COO of the company later this week. I'm trying to push the salary boundaries as I currently earn well and always find that Scottish positions pay a bit less than those down south. Seeking reassurance it will remain remote work post-covid too.

I assume everyone finds those salary conversations painful? I'm still only in my late 20s so find it awkward pushing for a significant wage too - always feel theres an expectation of gravitas you don't have at this age.

[Tomous]

Had 'open to work' on my LI profile for months and finally got a call from a recruiter a few days with what sounds like a great managerial opportunity.

Should have a call with the COO of the company later this week. I'm trying to push the salary boundaries as I currently earn well and always find that Scottish positions pay a bit less than those down south. Seeking reassurance it will remain remote work post-covid too.

I assume everyone finds those salary conversations painful? I'm still only in my late 20s so find it awkward pushing for a significant wage too - always feel theres an expectation of gravitas you don't have at this age.

Is the recruiter from a recruitment company? If so, tell them what you're aiming for and let them do all the negotiating. They should have a clear idea of what is achievable or not. The role I start next month, I told the recruiter what I was aiming for and he said "you're lowballing" and negotiated me a good 10% more.

[Squinty]

Just got back from 2 weeks off. I'm dead inside.

Also the guy sitting in front of me had tested positive for the 'rona. And nobody told me (again). So that's good.

[Zilnad]

Happy Monday everyone!

[Rocsteady]

Had 'open to work' on my LI profile for months and finally got a call from a recruiter a few days with what sounds like a great managerial opportunity.

Should have a call with the COO of the company later this week. I'm trying to push the salary boundaries as I currently earn well and always find that Scottish positions pay a bit less than those down south. Seeking reassurance it will remain remote work post-covid too.

I assume everyone finds those salary conversations painful? I'm still only in my late 20s so find it awkward pushing for a significant wage too - always feel theres an expectation of gravitas you don't have at this age.

Is the recruiter from a recruitment company? If so, tell them what you're aiming for and let them do all the negotiating. They should have a clear idea of what is achievable or not. The role I start next month, I told the recruiter what I was aiming for and he said "you're lowballing" and negotiated me a good 10% more.

Yeah from a recruitment company. The figure I went for was almost 10% more than the company's upper estimate for the role so definitely not low balling here! He said it might be pushing it a little but I'll see what the COO says this week. Might not want to work there anyway depending on their ethos towards marketing.

[pjbetman]

I just want them to update the strawberry floating thing to the Gov.UK branding guidelines so it's at least slightly less horrible to look at and read.

I'm not entirely sure if it's actually there yet due to Covid delays or whatever but my cloud accounts software Xero is introducing UK electronic self assessment submissions this year or at least was meant to so that'll be good. I don't file a company return because I'm not a company so it's kind of annoying there's less support for electronically filing a personal tax assessment in the UK (whereas it is supported in some other countries).

I've done basically the exact same return about 6 times now so it generally only takes me a couple of hours overall, it's mostly splitting out stuff that's nil profit or loss like GR (actually technically it's a loss) and my business that takes time because I have to file them all as seperate trading names which means splitting out my actual sole trading accounts into two seperate profit/loss accounts, only for the system to add it back together anyway.

You guys do do the simplified return right? You only need to enter your revenue and your expenses that way, there's no need to file the full return. Does ask a bunch of questions but it's basically, do you make money from dividends no do you make me money from property no do you have capital assets exceeding blahblah no do you have a pension no or whatever the strawberry float else it is, the answer is almost always "no" for everything

I sometimes have to decide what I want to claim as a capital allowance versus an expense but it doesn't make much difference anyway.

What I'm avoiding saying is no I haven't done it yet (but my accounts are already complete for last tax year) and I have 3 more work days including today together with some actual real work be doing, joy. I do love how many times HMRC texts me saying, "Don't wait until Jan 31, do it NOW." I swear it just makes me put it off even more. If it's on time, it's on time, like pretty much everything else in business. Sure I do some things early but telling the government yet again I've made no profit this year is not someting I particularly enjoy doing.

Yeah but when there's 18 different expense categories for renting a house out it's a piss take.

[Green Gecko]

I think I've done the line by line before or attached a PDF of my profile/loss account just because was worried about claims of bullshit.

I've racked up a healthy tax break for the future now

Always keep your receipts!

[Red]

Morning off work because the steel frame of the tent we work under started to buckle under the weight of rainwater

[Victor Mildew]

Morning off work because the steel frame of the tent we work under started to buckle under the weight of rainwater

[Red]

We reckon it's ghosts, because we're digging up a Victorian graveyard.

[Igor]

We reckon it's ghosts, because we're digging up a Victorian graveyard.

I know this might seem like a dumb question given it's a graveyard, but what sort of stuff do you find? What's the most interesting thing you've dug up?

[Red]

We reckon it's ghosts, because we're digging up a Victorian graveyard.

I know this might seem like a dumb question given it's a graveyard, but what sort of stuff do you find? What's the most interesting thing you've dug up?

It's not a dumb question. You don't get too much crazy stuff because it's a Christian cemetery so there aren't many 'grave goods' but some personal items like jewellery, buttons, lead tokens, shroud pins, etc. Coffin fittings and plates - handles, footplates, lid motifs, breastplates (where preservation is better, sometimes you can see writing and link them to burial records). As preservation gets better, more wood, leather and fabric (clothing etc) and some more organic... remains... Also a lot of broken pottery and glass (sometimes intact - bottles, little jugs, etc). Things chucked in the backfill by the gravediggers too - lots of clay pipes and oyster shells, sometimes coins, a domino. You're also looking for interesting skeletons, with signs of disease or injury.