The vagaries of taxation...
I have experienced many, but here is just one:
I sold my business.
The buyer agreed to pay for the property and work in progress, plus a sum for goodwill.
For ease of illustration, let's say he agreed to pay me £100,000 for the goodwill, but over 3 years, so 33k in year 1, 33k in year 2 and 34k in year 3.
He paid me the first instalment.
The taxman says ok, but the actual sum is £100k, so I want the tax on the whole amount now, off the first instalment.
Oh, say i...but I didn't get 100k, I only got 33k.
Too bad, said the taxman. You pay now! you won't have to pay next year, or the final year, but you must pay it all, on the whole amount agreed, although not paid.
What if he defaults?
Oh, well then you can apply for a refund!
So I have to pay tax on money I haven't received, and may never get?
Yup...them's the rules!
Suppose he paid me 33k a year for 3 years, as a consultancy fee?
Ah, that's just a device to get round the "goodwill" treatment, taxwise...
Ba****ds!
That is only one of many tricks they play on you, trust me!
However, on a lighter note, for some reason I have no idea about, HMRC, for the first time in my life, didn't ask me for any money today! YAY!
I expect they will catch up at some point in the future...
Ba****ds!
The only reason is that I had to pay some notional payment to account in anticipation of next year's profits, but as I only traded for 1 month of the 2017/18 taxyear, that payment as waived or reduced or something...i don't know, I don't understand, and I don't care!
Sometimes, being retired has its good points, and yet this is the one that makes me smile most!
Suffice to say, I didn't pay them anything today! Hurrah!
Tune in 3 months from now, and I bet it's a different story...