Friday, February 12, 2010

Four Funerals and a Wedding - by Richard Curtis

Richard Curtis, the Deputy Editor of Taxation magazine has outlined a tax related film script on the Taxation blog. The inspiration for this idea being the other Richard Curtis who has moved, temporarily, into the world of tax with the Robin Hood Tax.

Richard (from Taxation) suggests that Four Funerals and a Wedding:
"...will be a laugh a minute slapstick comedy based in a fictional Exchequer department in the swinging (as in swinging from one idea to the next) tax capital of the world, London.

The plot will be based around politicians and Treasury officials who seek to outdo each other with ever more outlandish tax plans, which then require ever more outlandish schemes to sort out the fun-filled chaos that results.
Remember that zero per cent corporation tax band? Remember how we laughed?

The four funerals?

That will be tax plans and reliefs that have been buried over the years: taper relief, zero per cent corporation tax, the ten per cent band abolition, higher rate relief on pension premiums for the wealthy.
These are just a few that come to mind and the final top four will be chosen from the crazy laughter they elicit from my audience response group.

The wedding?

That’ll involve the joyful union of Inland Revenue and HM Customs & Excise."
Inspired!

No comments:

Are some tax advisers paying more than they need to?

Some years ago on my first visit to Penrith, Cumbria, to present a talk to the local CIOT branch, I took a cab to the venue.  The driver ask...