Sleight of hand and twist of fate, On a bed of nails she makes me wait

Since I've been working at The Wave and being a mobile DJ I've been classed as self employed. They've never really been my main jobs but I still have to pay my own tax and national insurance. I started at The Wave in late 2003 and when I was required to, I filled out and completed a self-assessment tax return. Pain in the arse but I did it.

Anyway fast forward to last summer when I had a letter from the Inland Revenue telling me Not only did I owe them £2500 in unpaid tax for that financial year but there was a monthly £100 penalty building up...as they hadn't received the tax return. When that happens, they make a guess at what you should be paying in tax and that's what they'd done to me. So there I was with a tax bill of more than £3500.

I went nuts over this, why did it take them so long to tell me? Plus in order to get all the paperwork together to resubmit my tax return would take months and indeed it was only 2 months ago I managed to get everything together. In the meantime the tax office had taken me to court and obtained a judgement against me.

So there I was with a CCJ against my name and an almost 4 grand tax bill.

Life was not the best.

Anyway I finally got the whole thing sorted, the tax office calculated I didn't need to pay that sort of money in tax and the bill was wiped out.

I even had a letter saying I'd overpaid £200 in tax, and I was due a rebate! Brilliant, right?

Wrong.

Although the tax bill was wiped out, they were still chasing me for court costs which came to £250. They so-kindly decided to offset the costs from my rebate which meant I still owe the bastards £50.

Of course, had they not lost my original tax return then none of this would have happened, it wouldn't have gone to court and I'd be enjoying my £200.

Why should I have to pay for a court hearing when I'd done nothing wrong?

As it turns out I'm going to have to spend £65 going back to court to have the CCJ removed seeing as it shouldn't have taken place and there 'might' be a chance I'll get the final £50 wiped out.

So, Inland Revenue, Tax Office, Customs and Excise or whatever you guys are called this week, the below picture is officially for you.