kevinjohnsonmbe

Do you think you might have missed the point? Agreed, anyone can appeal a valuation if they think they have been wrongly apportioned a CT bracket. No dispute there - they just have to produce a body of evidence to convince VOA. However, the point I was highlighting was that domestic dwellings associated with a qualifying agricultural concern are specifically apportioned a CT reduction of valuation by dint of being a hereditament: "...3.3.1 Method summary: • Determine the extent to which the farm is a composite identifying the dwelling(s) to be apportioned • Select sales evidence from the locality of similar age size and character as possible. Former farmhouses would be ideal. • Apply a percentage deduction according to the acreage of the composite land holding. This is to reflect an average value reduction for the domestic element based on size of the holding..."

An example that is not limited to NZ despite the supposed UK / EU welfare controls, I frequently observe similar behaviour much closer to home (even seen the carcass picked up on the loader and dumped in the wooded swamp area which acts as a drain and feeds the water course....)

Keeping it accessible is very different in Scotland than in England where, quite often, even PRoW are intentionally blocked or at best begrudgingly conceded!

That's not at all the case.... But it certainly is way past time for a re-think on how we're currently doing it. The examples are far too wide and varied to quote so I'm not going to....

Here's a beauty.... So, you're VAT registered, the job has over run and you're caught on the hop with no packed lunch, you're at the cafe / restaurant / take away getting a feed.... Because you're tighter than an otters sphincter you ask for a VAT receipt so you can reclaim that which might be due.... Imagine the look on the face of the Doris serving up the hot roast pork roll with apple chutney..... Luckily...... HMRC have produced an easy reference guide to VAT chargeable rates on food: Food & Drink If you don't want to read the whole thing (it's a bit long winded), go straight to the "Summary Table" hyperlinked in the "General" paragraph after the intro.... It's a joy to read...

Remediating the effect industrial process (agriculture) has had in making it look the way it does now would be better....

Morning Mull! I hadn't missed it, nor was I trying to duck your very well placed question, just wanted some thinking time before replying. On the one hand, your question highlights the critical essence of why the current system is doomed to fail - without subsidy / central intervention in free market economics. And on the other, it kind of highlights the simple and fundamentally obvious solution - which contradicts the 'tie subsidy to production' (which has been tried before) concept. Price is (normally) dictated by availability, supply and demand. There is an argument that strategic resources (in this case food) might warrant a degree of central intervention but the problem, to my mind, is that it should be one or the other not a mixture of both. Either it IS strategically important and it is centrally controlled or it ISN'T and normal market forces apply. Either, this mess exists as a consequence of the recent history of selective drawing back of central control (dismantling the MMB for example) whilst retaining subsidy, then allowing mega buyers to dictate prices. Or, it is a case of excess product suppressing prices - scarcity pushes prices up. Also, important not to (excuse the pun) discount the effect of mega buyers artificially suppressing price to attract custom to the store. That said, either full-on centralised control or allow the supply to naturally wither such that only the most innovative and efficient survive would also change the dynamic. Bah, blame TESCO and start buying local!

It's occasions like that that make up for all the awkward customers! Priceless!!

Exceptionally useful.... For 1, I'd imagine it would debunk the Type C trs for climbing situation and maybe lead to a designed 'fit for purpose' solution rather than just adding more protection to an existing product (Type A) because obviously, aerial use of a chainsaw must be more dangerous than ground use! I mean, really, who actually makes cuts behind them self whilst climbing? I find it difficult to imagine and consequently question the viability and necessity of type C trs. In fact, you could go so far as to question the viability of either type A or C for aerial work since, personally, I very rarely make cuts that aren't between waist and chest / head height.... And where's the mandatory protection for those areas? There ain't none!

Like it! 👍🏻 TAKE responsibility rather than outsourcing it!

Richard, it might come across and be interpreted as me being anti farming / ag because I criticise some of the systems. I'm not, I am of, in and surrounded by ag. I have strong connections with and many friends, colleagues and contemporaries in the sector. You could say, it is 'from within' rather than as a detached, 'townie', Guardian reader style rural campaigner that I get frustrated with what appears to me to be the constant complaining despite being the best supported industry in the U.K. Many sectors are 'tough." Try having a conversation with a miner, a steel worker, an independent high street retailer.... I'm not sure you'll feel gushing sympathy! I believe even forestry contributes more to UK GDP than ag. If you can name me 1 business sector that gets a more favourable trading condition than ag, I'll eat my hat! And I hear the "you'll starve without us" and "we're the custodians of the countryside" arguments almost everyday. They are tired, lame and inaccurate strap lines which people are starting to tire of. This green and pleasant land is actually a landscape scarred by industrial exploitation of the profit fuelled desire to maximise agricultural output not act as "custodians" of the countryside for the benefit of the countryside. My greatest fear is that agriculture loses its high public regard through the greed and inequities that are propagated by the NFU. It frustrates me that those within the sector ( the workers) are so blind and apparently compliant / complicit with the gross unfairness of the current system. Brexit presents the perfect opportunity to get this right!

I know what you mean, but, no, it doesn't! What is it they say about a reputation ... years to build, seconds to destroy. I bet none of those satisfied customers have been on to customer services at Autoass and the insurance company and spent time singing their praises online about how good they are at turning up and doing what they would be paid for at the time they said they would! Victor Mildrew - out....!

I've heard about the Watchdog thing since I started banging my gums about todays fiasco: BBC One - Watchdog - Autoglass

Evening Ricardo! Mate, I think, without actually knowing it, we probably have a very similar frustration. And part of what you say above, I genuinely agree with - "...I think all farmers should stop work..." However, I would change the second part of your statement to read "...until the inequities, greed, nepotism and corruption of the CLA, NFU, land barons, establishment grandees, hereditary decedents, hedge funds, grant traders and government QUANGOS get off the multi billion pound gravy train and pass the available money to those actually working the land..." Or something like that.... I totally agree with you that there probably ain't many crumbs left on the table after the vultures have feasted, but I simply cannot understand why working men and women (in agriculture) tolerate such blatant fund hoovering by the big boys and still support the likes of the NFU. It might not be immediately obvious, but I suspect our individual frustrations may have more in common than we give them credit for.

Yes, no guarantee of being the first customer but should give a better chance of the mugs actually turning up. Later day slots are doomed to failure as the over commitments snowball.

In future I will only ever book the first slot of the day.... They'd probably still balls that up!

For the second time this year auto glass have spectacularly failed to satisfy the most basic customer requirement of turning up for a pre-booked appointment resulting in another wasted day waiting around and having to listen to lame platitudes from a talking head on the other end of the phone. Apologies are empty and meaningless, doing what you committed to do is customer service. Get a grip!

Farmers could receive £14,000 council tax rebate - Farmers Weekly Valuation Office Agency - Council Tax Manual

It's early days, but initial indications are favourable.... I spoke to someone that seemed 'human' at HMRC yesterday! It has taken 6 months to even get a response from a written complaint though, but now he's on the case it looks promising with his opening gambit being "I can't see how he (the original desk officer) has come to that conclusion and I'm going to need to look closely at his work...!" To which I replied "neither could the judge that overruled him at Tribunal, so why am I still having to deal with this idiot?" He was in the complaints department, I hope they are feared and loathed by the regular desk officers something akin to the police internal investigations branch!

Took me a bit longer since I was stuck on hold to VAT helpline!

Got it, thanks! Interesting stuff.... Spoke to accountant and VAT helpline about how to, and who, decides which 'type of business' and % rate is applicable. According to VAT helpline it's a self nomination. Looking at the list it would seem that any of the following might be appropriate: Agricultural services - 11% Business services NLE* - 12% Estate agency / property management - 12% Farming / Agriculture NLE* - 6.5% Forestry / fishing - 10.5% General building / construction services - 9.5% Management consultancy - 14% Real estate NLE* - 14% (*NLE = Not listed elsewhere) So, assuming a fairly equal spread of woodland management (forestry?), domestic arb (property management? / Real estate NLE?), commercial / site clearance (general building / construction services?) surveying / QTRA (Management consultancy?) hedging / stonewalling (Ag services or Ag NLE?) it could be anywhere between 6.5% and 14%? Glad that's so clear and easy! I asked the VAT helpline if jobs that fit into different brackets should have VAT charged at the appropriate rate but they said you have 1 flat rate and stick to it. Having been through the mill with these 'people', I asked what happens if someone comes along later and decides you've picked the wrong bracket..... Tumbleweed...... So I guess I'll just fill in that info gap with the assumption you get bent over! Domestic arb is not exactly forestry nor is it ag NLE but which is it most like?? Commercial arb is not exactly general building / construction nor is it real estate NLE but which is it most like? Report writing / surveying / QTRA is not exactly business services NLE nor is it management consultancy but which is it most like.... Etc, etc, etc.... It's not an insignificant decision since there could be a substantial variation in VAT payable An interesting observation in reading the table of applicable rates.... There's ANOTHER agricultural concession (6.5-11% VAT) that the rest of the trading nation don't get and that's on top of reduced council tax for farmhouses, rebated fuel, exemption from business rates, exemption from inheritance tax, exemption from planning regs and of course the free money. Must be tough getting so much of a leg up and still only managing to contribute 0.7% of UK GDP.

Appreciate if could share a link that shows this Al?

Everyday is a fun day Paul!! It's sunny in Cornwall today, hope it holds for your visit next week....

It will all go horribly wrong when Mr Bolam happens across this thread!

:lol::lol:That's a bold statement on the thread title!:lol: