Taxing Times Ahead

Going to really miss her, but today sees MrsB fly off home to Maldives for 7 weeks to spend some long overdue time with family including our 3 grandsons, but also to top-up her diagnosed Vitamin D deficiency with some sunshine. She flies out of Manchester Airport at 8pm tonight on Etihad. The airline name reminds me this morning that I had better set to record the Sky Sports coverage of Manchester City's must-win Barcelona game in the Champions League tonight, so I can watch it when back, and left 'home alone'. I say "must-win" but as a Mancunian of the red persuasion, my elegance tonight is clearly with the Catalans (of course).

In 2014 City received a £49m fine under Uefa Financial Fair Play which related to serial fudging of income, including naming rights for their Etihad sponsorship. Not quite in the same league, but today is UK Budget Day and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is announcing his plans for personal tax cuts and relaxations over annual tax returns.

George also happens to be our MP for Tatton, so it seems apt that I should have got a letter signed by him today in response to my request for a constituency surgery appointment. Delivering the budget today and 7-weeks off the General Election he was way too busy his PA called to tell me the other week. At least he had the courtesy to write and ask me for more detail. I wanted to grumble about Government bully-boy tactics imposing unfair fines on small businesses by Company House and HMRC for slightly late returns.