Grumpy old buggers thread

[4bee]

One of my grandchildren turned eighteen on Sunday. They planned to change their name legally yesterday (with support of parents, and had researched how to do it). So they rolled up to the local Service NSW yesterday morning, complete with plenty of ID - passport, school ID, bank statement.

Nope, not enough ID - you need a utility bill in your name, or a superannuation statement (how many 18yos still living at home and going to school have these?). However, the documents you have will allow us to issue you with a proof of age card (only take a week or two), and this can then be used to identify you for your change of name application. Of course, when the change of name goes through, this card will have to be reissued with the new name.

Can anyone see the logic in this?

NOPE!


Like my little recent doosy the other week. . The govt dept does not recognise "Husband" on it's forms but will accept "Partner" FFS!
Upset indoors a tad & she told them as she'd been married to me for 65 years she will refer to me as her HUSBAND. I suspect some of these Depts have little to do these days. Seems I must be more LEGAL than an unmarried Partner.

Bloody world has gone mad.

[V8Ian]

Yep, years ago I needed further ID to renew my licence. Another government department was suggested by the licence issuing office. You guessed it, they used my licence for ID to issue the supporting ID.

[Tins]

That's right up there withe the printed statement "This page is intentionally blank".

[ChookD2]

That's my profile picture on Faceblock. "This page is intensionally blank"

[4bee]

Yep, years ago I needed further ID to renew my licence. Another government department was suggested by the licence issuing office. You guessed it, they used my licence for ID to issue the supporting ID.

Blimey, that is akin to taking one's old Passport to the Post Office as Proof of ID to get a new one.

[RANDLOVER]

Lately I find the phrase "they are going to be okay" when a sports person is taken away in an ambulance really annoying, a ride to hospital in an ambulance is right up there on the list of worst days in anyone's life! This includes sports people, it is just that the commentators are so deeply invested in sport for their employment, that they are prepared to gloss over injuries requiring hospital attention.

[3toes]

A few years ago here in the UK they were going to create a new database of everyone in the UK. Seems it was necessary as the existing dad bases for passport, drivers licence, tax and voters roll had so many false and incorrect records they could not be used. Now how were people going to prove who they were for the new database. No prizes if you guessed by supplying drivers licence, passport and voter roll. Now what could possibly go wrong ……

[NavyDiver]

Reading how easy is true UNLESS!!!!

"Ten years ago, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) created the "myTax" portal, an easy way to lodge your tax return online.There was an "e-Tax" filing option before the 2015-16 tax year, but this was quite complicated and barely better than filling out a form online.
In comparison, myTax is simpler and more automated. It's available 24 hours a day, is free to use, and you will typically get your refund within two weeks.
But the chances are you won't be using it.
In fact, slightly less than 36 per cent of Australia's 15 million taxpayers used the myTax portal in 2020-21 — the most recent tax year for which the tax office has published data.
About 64 per cent of tax returns were lodged through tax agents. This is one of the highest rates among 38 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations. Meanwhile, just 0.6 per cent of Australians still used the paper-based form."

Unless you do some USD$ and capital gains and head wacked making how much it was a bit tricky or its a COMANY which it is almost impossible to do online and only on paper unless you pay some one



I have both issues

[JDNSW]

One of the major issues with tax law in Australia is that it has got so complex that even when the individual's return would be simple for them to do, it has got to where nobody is confident that they know enough about the tax law to do it themselves. This has happened over my lifetime - it used to be very simple for most people. Of course, tax agent advertising has fed this lack of confidence.

[3toes]

The accountancy profession has a significant input into creating tax law. Might they have a vested interest in making it just that little too complicated that you feel the need of an ‘expert’ to assist you

In UK you only fill in a tax return if asked to do so by HMRC or have a reason to do so which is a very small part of the PAYE sector

The bank takes any tax due on interest or such from your account you do not need to tell HMRC. There are thresholds which are quite small for other income where you do not need to declare. They do not care that you made or lost £100 on shares. I have had a tax return sent to me with no involvement as they figured out had paid too much

Asking for a return is a targeted exercise by HMRC based on data they hold. Starts nice with a request to fill in the form. They then check what you say against what they know. If all matches no problem. If not then things quickly become interesting and they can go back 12 years