Musn't Grumble


It's one of those wonderful English expressions isn't it, a sort of 'I'm really pissed off but don't want to contemplate the alternatives!'.


1st Ferbuary is a day of massive relief, not in a taxation or sexual way but the sheer relief at knowing that the 2007 Tax Returns are completed and submitted and that the 2006 Tax Returns can no longer be the subject of an HMRC enquiry (unless fraud rather than error is suspected). The problem is that you get about five minutes to enjoy that post-adrenalin rush before works starts to build-up again. For years we used to tell staff 'wait until February and you'll get a few quiet days', in fact I've usually taken half term week off such has been the level of inactivity even for someone in my position.


This year February is rocking right from the start, we have a Quality Assurance visit for two days beginning on the 11th and that's being looked forward to with a mixture of fear, excitement and panic. Fear because it's a new concept and we haven't had a visit yet, excitement because we don't know what to expect and panic because of the first two. Following the QA visit there's a couple of audits, a new member of staff joining and a reorganisation of the office.


I have to say, and I'm not proud of it, that I felt an overwhelming sense of schadenfruede last Thursday when the HMRC computer crashed leaving about 100,000 people in the lurch. I know it's not unreasonable to expect the HMRC computer to be efficient and available when you want it, but people do have from 6th April until 31st January to file their returns so it's as much a surprise as Christmas and since when afre computers reliable 24/7?