Many Happy Returns

It’s that time of the year when they drop through the letter box. Welcome to the World, planet earth. When you joined the society of mankind you were entitled to the use of the four elements freely and generously provided by nature – air water, sunshine and land.

Unfortunately for you all the land has been reserved and if you want a piece of it you must now pay the person who claims ownership the price demanded for the plot you require. You may feel this is unfair and unjust but try to believe that you live in a free society although you are, for all intents and purposes, not much better than a slave.

Your lot in life is to work as hard as you can and to enjoy as much of it as is possible under the circumstances you find yourself.

Your first duty is to pay tax for the privilege of working and creating wealth. Taxes may go up or down but you can reckon that they will take at least 50% of anything you earn. Your second duty is to get into a lifetime of debt (called a mortgage) in order to purchase an address so that you have somewhere to sleep, eat and prepare for work tomorrow. Your home and work addresses are required to ensure the tax authorities know where to collect the taxes they impose.

When you have completed your years of work and paid off your mortgage you can enjoy the time remaining to you before everything you have acquired by your labour is subject to a final tax demand called Inheritance Tax. Although you have paid tax all your working life the government is so hungry for tax that it pursues your family when you can make no further tax contribution yourself.

It’s a tough life.

Happy birthday – and many tax returns.