Aaaaaaaaaggghh - The Scream Thread!, Sign in here if you've had a bad week... Options

[Listener]

So - I did a quick job for someone, huge pressure, burning the candle into the small hours, not great pay rate under the circumstances, but every little helps - and being helpful to someone often puts one in line for future work. It now turns out (I'm self-employed like many of us here) that the organization I did it for will deduct tax/NI at source unless I can provide them with a letter from HMRC confirming that the specific job done was done under self-employment terms. I've been self-employed for 20 years and I haven't come up against this intransigence before - at worst, a copy of my latest tax bill (numbers blanked out) has been enough. Usually, I just say I'm self-employed and that's that.

Phoned HMRC who said - entirely reasonably I think - that they have no idea what it's all about so can't write anything... and also added that HMRC no longer provides written adjudication on employment status to individuals anyway. So the organization's guidelines are out of date... but that doesn't help. Also, according to HMRC, putting someone you don't actually employ on PAYE can get the organization concerned into trouble - but let's face it, who's going to pull them up for it? So the dratted organization will deduct the tax... and I will claim it back in my 2011/12 tax return. Great. (Do I get the NI back at all?) And of course, there's no way I'm going to work for the clowns again, so it's all been a waste of time, and sleep time too, which is far worse. Grrrrrrrr.

[fsharpminor]

I didnt think it was allowed for any organisation to deduct tax like taht form a self employed person. I'd have thought they were in breach of the law !

[BerkshireMum]

My degree results come out tomorrow... *apprehensive*

Good luck, tamsin! Im sure you'll have done fine. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Arghhh! Exams. In 2 days. Too warm to revise. I want to go out. Alas.

Not long to go now, Ben. Hang on in there! Nice to see you posting again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[barry-clari]

My degree results come out tomorrow... *apprehensive*

best of luck...

[Listener]

I didnt think it was allowed for any organisation to deduct tax like taht form a self employed person. I'd have thought they were in breach of the law !

Ah - I thought that was the gist of what the tax office was saying, so it's good to hear you say the same. I know music peris who pay some tax via self-assessment while some is deducted by schools they teach in. In the latter case I thought they probably had contracts of part-time employment. In my case, I don't have the contract I was told was on its way even though the work is now done and dusted, so I can't check what my terms were (do I look forward to pro-rata paid holidays, for example? - every minute helps!). It all smacks of an inefficient admin. However it is a large organization and I am a minnow, so I guess they do what they like and I lump it. And I learn that I sign on the dotted line before I do anything, however desperate a client is.

PS Good luck to all you young people with exams and results looming... mine is a minor aghhhh in comparison. Glad to report that having talked daughter down off the ceiling before each exam (phones are wonderful things) she turned in a very respectable result for her first year - may you all do likewise... without the ceiling bit, of course.

[Tortellini]

Tuesday: booked a hotel
Wednesday: got an email from the hotel chain saying they have a special offer on - half price rooms
Thursday: Phone hotel. Get told tough - you booked before the offer. Aaargh. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Good luck to everyone doing exams/waiting for results!

[Flossie]

My degree results come out tomorrow... *apprehensive*

Is it party-time yet? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Listener]

Tuesday: booked a hotel
Wednesday: got an email from the hotel chain saying they have a special offer on - half price rooms
Thursday: Phone hotel. Get told tough - you booked before the offer. Aaargh. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Not good PR - would you choose to stay there again? By contrast, once went to pay for something in a small department store, and the assistant scurried off. Waited puzzled... assistant returned and explained that what I was buying was about to go in the sale and he'd gone to ask whether he could give me the sale price... which he could. I shop there a lot now.

EDIT: can you cancel and rebook?

[jod]

Tuesday: booked a hotel
Wednesday: got an email from the hotel chain saying they have a special offer on - half price rooms
Thursday: Phone hotel. Get told tough - you booked before the offer. Aaargh. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Not good PR - would you choose to stay there again? By contrast, once went to pay for something in a small department store, and the assistant scurried off. Waited puzzled... assistant returned and explained that what I was buying was about to go in the sale and he'd gone to ask whether he could give me the sale price... which he could. I shop there a lot now.

EDIT: can you cancel and rebook?

My thoughts exactly. Check cancellation policy, if necessary cancel and re book. Were you speeking to the receptionist or the manager. Do they really want the adverse PR. After all this is the facebook age and how do they know you are not about to name and shame their company on facebook and twitter...

If they say they don't like that remind them that neither did Ryan Giggs and look what good it did him!

You can always stay somewhere else. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[Maizie]

My degree results come out tomorrow... *apprehensive*

I hope you get what you want...am impressed you got a day though! We got "it'll be sometime that week" so each day we had to traipse to either the department or the exam schools to see if the results were up on the board yet!


I currently have a scintilating scotoma, which is most likely a migraine aura. I used to get this visual disturbance frequentl (2 or 3 a week)y, and with no headache. Now I get them occasionally, but with the following headache, etc. Though I do also get migraines without them, sometimes.
That's by-the-by...the main annoyance is that I have a music lesson in 3 hours. Which - if the headache comes - I'm not going to be in the mood for. I hate having to phone up and cancel on short notice, I like to give as much notice as possible but I don't want to phone up and say when I don't have the headache just yet - just in case I am fine! Basically I hate phoning in sick (I'd probably hate it less if I paid for the missing lessons, but he won't charge me so I feel like a dreadful student!)
The most obvious thing to do would be to go home rather than sit at work. But, music lesson is in the opposite direction to home, so if I were actually fine, I'd be doing lots of extra miles for no good reason.
And, as if that weren't enough, the plumber and tiler arejust finishing off our bathrrom today. So I can't go home and not be disturbed.

[Tortellini]

Tuesday: booked a hotel
Wednesday: got an email from the hotel chain saying they have a special offer on - half price rooms
Thursday: Phone hotel. Get told tough - you booked before the offer. Aaargh. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Not good PR - would you choose to stay there again? By contrast, once went to pay for something in a small department store, and the assistant scurried off. Waited puzzled... assistant returned and explained that what I was buying was about to go in the sale and he'd gone to ask whether he could give me the sale price... which he could. I shop there a lot now.

EDIT: can you cancel and rebook?

My thoughts exactly. Check cancellation policy, if necessary cancel and re book. Were you speeking to the receptionist or the manager. Do they really want the adverse PR. After all this is the facebook age and how do they know you are not about to name and shame their company on facebook and twitter...

If they say they don't like that remind them that neither did Ryan Giggs and look what good it did him!

You can always stay somewhere else. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Unfortunately have tried this but my original booking can't be cancelled. I tried the whole "this is bad PR" idea but they weren't that bothered - mind you my negotiating skills were somewhat hampered by my French! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) We will stay there again though as it is just right for our stop off on the way to the UK and one of the few places we have found where 5 of us can share a room...oh well.. the annoying thing is normally we leave everything to the last minute. This time I decided to be organized and book in advance - it doesn't pay!

[Roseau]

Unfortunately have tried this but my original booking can't be cancelled. I tried the whole "this is bad PR" idea but they weren't that bothered - mind you my negotiating skills were somewhat hampered by my French! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) We will stay there again though as it is just right for our stop off on the way to the UK and one of the few places we have found where 5 of us can share a room...oh well.. the annoying thing is normally we leave everything to the last minute. This time I decided to be organized and book in advance - it doesn't pay!

Is it a French chain of hotels (rather than a "private" one)? In which case you might be able to get something back afterwards if they have an online customer satisfaction form to fill in.

[Bagpuss]

I've had a really, REALLY horrible day..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I've tried to be a vewwy bwave Bag....but I think I'm gonna go hide under the duvet now and howl...(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

B (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) x

[MusicalNitWit]

I've put a dash of whiskey in the Pimms for you.

I have some illegal unopened (too scared to try it) absinthe if you'd prefer a wee cocktail.

Hugs xx

[Bagpuss]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) *cries* (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

sniiiffffff

B (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) x