This time last week

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Remember I told you about the stupid taxman telling me I was being penalised for not submitting my tax return on time? And how I wrote a bolshy letter to him telling him that it had been submitted online in time and he had already cashed my cheque so he should know that?

Well, I had another letter from him on Saturday, again saying I hadn't submitted my tax return. I read it and flounced into the study where Husband was looking at cars on the internet (other men peruse sexy young women; mine loves old land rovers). 'Look!' I said. 'They are so stupid; they've written to me again. Will you please find all the details of my submission so I can write to them again with proof?'

Husband reluctantly dragged himself away from dreams of romping in the mud in a four-wheel drive, and set about the search while I was out.

On my return I asked, 'Well, did you find it? What does it say?'

His reply was sort of vague. I listened and then said, 'So my tax return did go in on time?'
'Well, I did it.'
'So it went in on time?'
'Well, it seems I didn't actually submit it.'

I've written to the tax man again - a slightly more apologetic letter this time - and now I have to wait and see if they'll accept my excuses.

In the letter that arrived this morning they suggest that while I'm waiting to hear if my appeal is successful I might want to pay the penalty anyway because it will incur interest if my appeal fails and I haven't paid it. Yes, right.