Since 1927 the leading authority on tax law, practice and administration
.png)
.png)
The fear
Feb 7, 2008, 09:31 AM
Authors :
Daniel
Show link :
Yes
Show link in individual comments :
No
Show Printer-friendly URLs list :
Yes
User can post comments :
No
Display comments :
No
Sticky at top of lists :
No
Promoted to front page :
No
Premium content :
No
Feature in listings page :
No
Post date :
Feb 7, 2008, 09:31 AM
This isn't the first time I've written about Britney Spears.
In a previous job as a music critic, I had cause to mention her more than once.
(I'd like take this opportunity to belatedly apologise for not giving her tune Toxic the credit it was due. It's a classic, and I realise that now.)
Back then, the singer was a young saucepot with millions in the bank and the pop world at her feet.
Now, of course, she's a twice-divorced mother of two.
And - boy! - does she have problems.
Not least, there's the small matter of £8.5 million that she's reported to owe the IRS.
The reason cited for Britney's alleged tax avoidance?
Accountants who struggled to keep track of all her income.
As taxpayers, an inept tax advisor is something we can all fear.
And as someone currently studying for his first ATT exam, it's causing me worries from another perspective.
Every morning over breakfast, I read my personal income tax study pack.
And most evenings I try - not always successfully - to get to grips with the exercises at the end of each chapter.
At every study session, I begin to sweat not about failing to pass, but about only just scraping through.
I'll have a qualification, but will I be qualified? (If you see what I mean.)
Were I to help a chum with his or her self assessment return, I wouldn't want to leave them owing HMRC £85, let alone £8.5 million.
I think I'll have to greatly increase my study periods.
Who needs sleep anyway?
In a previous job as a music critic, I had cause to mention her more than once.
(I'd like take this opportunity to belatedly apologise for not giving her tune Toxic the credit it was due. It's a classic, and I realise that now.)
Back then, the singer was a young saucepot with millions in the bank and the pop world at her feet.
Now, of course, she's a twice-divorced mother of two.
And - boy! - does she have problems.
Not least, there's the small matter of £8.5 million that she's reported to owe the IRS.
The reason cited for Britney's alleged tax avoidance?
Accountants who struggled to keep track of all her income.
As taxpayers, an inept tax advisor is something we can all fear.
And as someone currently studying for his first ATT exam, it's causing me worries from another perspective.
Every morning over breakfast, I read my personal income tax study pack.
And most evenings I try - not always successfully - to get to grips with the exercises at the end of each chapter.
At every study session, I begin to sweat not about failing to pass, but about only just scraping through.
I'll have a qualification, but will I be qualified? (If you see what I mean.)
Were I to help a chum with his or her self assessment return, I wouldn't want to leave them owing HMRC £85, let alone £8.5 million.
I think I'll have to greatly increase my study periods.
Who needs sleep anyway?
Tags :
Tax Topic Tags :
- Blog
READERS' FORUM 
New queries
NEWS 
CASES
Copyright © 2024 LexisNexis
Leave a comment