31 January 2005 is an important day for taxpayers here in the UK. It’s the deadline of filing your individual tax returns – that is if you’ve been procastinating like me otherwise, you would have already submitted your tax return before the 30th of September.

In all honesty, I really wasn’t procastinating…I actually started concerning myself with my returns since March last year. For one, this was the first time I was doing this tax thing myself and secondly, I knew my case was a bit complicated because I was on expat status from May to July (2003) and then I worked for another commpany until August 2003 before finally moving to my current employment inn September 2003. So, I asked my current company’s HR to help me out. Since they don’t have my tax information from when I was on expat status, they said that it would be really difficult for them to complete the return for me. They suggested that I have return completed by the same people who prepared them for me when I was on expat status. We rang them up and they agreed to do it for me at a very friendly price.

Anyway, May (2004) came and my company sent out our individual P60′s where the tax information is indicated. This is where I procastinated…I waited until October to pass the information to the accountants. Now, I have the tax return completed and hopefully, I could get it in time over to the tax office.

The more painful part about it is – I need to pay £563 more tax! Why? Because of the housing allowance I received when I was working as an expat here in England. I was told by my accountants that the allowance was tax free for the first 2 years. Since my stay extended beyond that time, any allowances/benefits would be subject to tax.

BUT this tax was supposed to be shouldered by my previous employers since it was an agreement that the monies we received (per diems + allowances) were net of taxes. So, in reality, I should be claiming back this money from them as they were supposed to have given me the money for it. Big problem is, I am no longer their employee and I haven’t been since July 2003! I emailed my ex-boss in Madrid and told him about the situation and asked for help. He said to contact 2 key persons, one of whom he will personally speak to about my case on Monday. Fingers crossed, I would get my money back.

I would have just let it go if the additional tax I had to pay was only less than £100. But it’s £563 … and that’s a lot of money! If I don’t get that back, there goes my holidays… :pessimist: Please help me pray. Thanks.

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At around 4pm today, I had to stop working – or at least look away from a PC monitor – because my head was spinning :swirl: and I was seeing double :hypnotized: of everything for every movement. Don’t know if that is a manifestation of jetlag or I have low blood pressure or I need to have my eyes checked (could be astigmatism) or low sugar or I don’t know.

When I got home, I decided to do some breathing and stretching exercises, and crunches, too! Did that help? A bit, but I could still feel some wooziness…hmm…

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I returned to work on Monday and I was welcomed by these following surprises, which I am deeply grateful for – in one way or another:

• GOOD: I got a raise! I received a letter with the usual “…thank you for all your efforts…blah…blah… Your salary has been increased by *toot* …” And this doesn’t still include my bonus. That information will come later.
• GOOD: I was one of the finalists for Employee of the Year. Although I didn’t win, it felt good being recognised by my colleagues on the work I’ve contributed during my first year in the company.
• BAD for me, GOOD for the company: Our proposal got shortlisted in Atlanta! It was definitely good news for us having been shortlisted for our proposal of an implementation of our system for the water company in Atlanta. Remember I had to work the weekend to rush the proposal together? Anyway, our proposal was selected best along with 2 others (I think) and this gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our product and give them more information on how do we plan to go on about the project, if we win it. This is the bad thing because I was not asked to go to Atlanta. Someone else had to take over the work I started and laboured. I felt like the rug was pulled from under my feet. I did most of the hard work in getting that proposal document together and it has brought us to this fortunate position and now someone else will defend, justify and fortify that? I was p****d off big time and I did not think twice in telling my boss that and our Chief Operating Officer about it. I cancelled my sight-seeing and shopping tour of Shanghai because someone had to start building those demo scenarios and data provided by Atlanta on our database. Time was of the essence, we got the scenarios and data Thursday night, Boston time (GMT-5) scheduled for a Wednesday presentation, so I managed to pick it up quickly from Shanghai (GMT+8). By the time I finished my contribution on the data building, our UK office (GMT) could pick up from what I’ve finished. I was then flying back to HK that Friday to go back to the UK on Saturday. By the time UK was done, I could pick up from where they left off. When I got to my hotel in Hong Kong, I was told not to put another finger on the matter since I am not going anyway. If I had gone, I would have to fly back to the UK, unload my suitcase and re-pack and fly out again for Atlanta. I was told that they will not do that to any employee as it just seems ridiculous. I know that it would be too much but I told them that we don’t do that everyday…for me, if it has to be done, I didn’t mind doing it. In fact, I was the one who suggested that I fly out Monday evening, the latest. But little did I know that I was not being seriously considered to go out there and do the demo.

I know there will be more surprises, after all it is only the beginning…

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