It's Just Like Christmas

Waking up this morning felt like being a child again and waking up on Christmas morning. Not the presents, the tree, the elderly relatives sat in the corner telling you how it was in their day, no the sense of euphoria.

1st February...woohoo

Okay, now to anybody not in the accountancy or taxation professions today is just another day but believe me, 1st Feb means that we've passed 31st January and the last (official) date for filing Self Assessment returns for individuals and partnerships. I feel physically different, lighter possibly - the sheer weight and pressure lifted.

Yes I know we all need a little pressure but the closer that deadline gets and the list of unfinished returned remains static, or indeed growing as it does every year as somebody suddenly realises they need an accountant to complete and file their returns, the tighter your neck muscles get, arms ache and that cold you've been stifling since the middle of November threatens to break out with every sneeze.

I can be ill now, not that I want to, but I know I can if I have to.

So, it's only 63 days until the end of the 2006-7 tax year and the process starts all over again.

But if anybody out there is reading this and doesn't have an accountant or tax advisor but thinks they might need one, remember we are here all year round, we don't just appear by magic on 31st January.