Above, a quote from Mr Noah Smith, an American blogger and commentator on economics and current events.
Given the day, I’ll wish Mr Smith and his fellow Americans a happy 4th July!
The reason for the publication of Mr Smith’s wisdom is that I have successfully paid the July tax demand of HMRC!
We now have to do things “online” and for many of us, that is not easy or straightforward!
What is most worrying as one taps away at the keys of one’s computer keyboard is that one will have to resort to telephoning the HMRC and having to endure the purgatory of getting past the computerised receptionist and then enduring the long, long wait “on hold” before eventually being put through to a human being who could very likely be working from home!
During the process of paying one’s tax the HMRC website designers offer one the opportunity of completing the process by entering something known as a “QR code”.
To perform this feat one needs two things:
#1: A “Gen 4” smart phone.
#2: The knowledge of how to do this.
I possess #1, but am lacking in #2!
Happily, I was able to complete the transaction without availing myself of this “so-called” convenience!
Doing my accounts and calculating the tax I owe is for me a straightforward task. I successfully ran a large and profitable business at one point in my working life.
Some OAPs delight in their use of the internet and are very good at it. I am NOT one of those OAPs!
Another thing I’m not very good at is following the instructions of The Right Honourable
Yvette Cooper, PC, Home Secretary and the Member for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley – aka Mrs Edward Balls.
The Right Honourable lady you see has forbidden the use of any language that is deemed politically incorrect and referring to those in receipt of the state pension as “Old Age Pensioners” is deemed by the lady as demeaning and “ageist”!