kevinjohnsonmbe

Bit off topic but there was an interesting caller to Ian Dale show earlier on LBC. He was a laid off commercial aircon engineer. As he told it, bored with no work on and ‘troubled’ by the reports of supermarkets being super conductors of C19, and ‘people’ not adhering to preventative measures, he decided to take his air quality monitoring equipment to the supermarket. What he said he found after measurements in various big name stores was that all bar 1 was wildly off what the government (?) air quality / moisture levels ‘should’ be. Apparently, such standards are published and available online (?) I found it interesting (whilst having no idea if he was talking bullox or not) because (a) who even knew supermarket air quality was a ‘thing’ and (b) if it is, maybe the whole approach to C19 preventative measures is being mis sold as individual responsibility whereas corporate responsibility may be slipping the leash? Apol’s for going off piste but thought you might be interested or have a view on it 🧐

It doesn’t happen quickly, it starts quickly and then the bully boy intimidation tactics kick in. They last a long time and (I suspect usually bear fruit) you have to seek to get HMRC ‘decisions’ internally reviewed, then appeal, then apply for Tribunal. It is agonisingly slow and tedious and they bombard you with scatter-gun requests for information and so it continues until either your accountancy fees exceed your tolerance threshold or you lose the will to fight. They picked the wrong cowboy when my number came up. I’ve got endless enthusiasm for a scrap with offialdom and I had the time, will and resources to do it myself. It’s not a course of action Id recommend though - hence just saying “beware” of what can happen.

I was full time employed elsewhere too - my scenario started very similarly to what the OP presents. I moved house, 4 fireplaces to be fed, started picking up wood and taking down trees to feed the fire. It doesn't take long to move from a borrowed chainsaw to running a business. 😖 The trigger costs for investigation for HMRC were peanuts, but it escalated into a 4 year battle ending up in the RCJ. All I'm saying bud, is it can happen, and for me it did! It was a useful learning curve though and, like your mate, I'm watertight on tax affairs now. I don't miss a single penny that can be claimed 😂

page 5/6 gives a summary http://www.fieldtax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/February-2016-Tax-Bulletin.pdf The issue arose because HMRC didn't want to 'allow' capital and operational expenses in 2010/11 & 11/12 because they tipped the business from profit into loss and their contention was that a business trading at a loss could not be viable and therefore unable to claim AIA etc. (I rather doubt there's a single farm business that could demonstrate profitability without subsidy - but that's a whole other story!) In the end, it all came down to the accrual of arb arisings (non monetary goods received must be taken to account at their market value on the day of receipt) which is taxable rather than the value of the goods after they have been processed and made available for sale (processing and seasoning in this case.) It was a barrel of laughs and a great insight to how HMRC works. My absolute favourite part was the Lower Tier Tribunal - on arrival, Clerk asked are there any admin issues you need to make the judge aware of... I simply said I'd need to renew the parking ticket at 13:00. No problem says the Clerk, we'll break for lunch around then anyway. Johnny from HMRC chips in - "there's an all day multi story carpark right opposite, why don't you use that?" "Because the Landrover 110 utility we're about to argue about in relation to AIA won't fit under the barrier" (you ****************ing chimp I muttered under my breath.) HMRC were invited to lay out their case. After much fumbling and confusion a 10 minute summary was presented to the judge by HMRC. Then it was my turn! About 4 hours later having delivered a killer presentation, all from memory, and answered all the questions from the bench we broke for lunch. On return from lunch it was HMRCs turn to offer any rebuttals of my evidence, and mine of theirs. HMRC blushed and farted and didn't have much to offer... Judge asked me if I'd sorted the car park, I replied "Yes, thank you Sir, I've put another 4 hours on the meter" It probably loses it in the telling, but both myself and the judges genuinely laughed out loud 😂 That was the Lower Tier Tribunal, the Upper Tier was a bit more dramatic but that's a story for another day... 😂😂

I'll see if I can dig out the Court papers

The trouble is Paddy, you (like the vast majority of the human race) are viewing it through the lens of common sense and reasonableness.... HMRC don't have those glasses. Of course you're right, kept on the low-down most unlikely to to ever be a problem - but it has greater potential 'issues' for a company that might be interpreted as engaging someone on such terms. I'm as happy as you to say it would be unlikely - all I'm saying is, from the position of a man that HAS stood in the RCJ with a piece of yesterdays cut green wood in one hand and a 2 year air dried piece in the other it can happen and it's a barrel of laughs when it does (I do mean that actually, I really enjoyed making sure HMRC had costs far in excess of any recovery - but I am an exceptionally stubborn bar steward at the best of times 😂)

Might sound daft but I speak from the position of experience of having firmly locked horns (and for the most part - pulled their pants down) with HMRC on the subject of goods in lieu of payment. It’s a well trodden path and supported by fairly extensive legal precedent. Worst case scenario - both yourself (in the form of acquiring goods) AND the person / outfit benefitting from your labour ought to be aware of the potential requirements to declare non monetary benefits accrued to HMRC. Don’t shoot the messenger! Just saying what “should” happen. 😂😂😂 Scale / value / profile are all relevant. Keep it low key under the radar probably quite low risk..... Here it comes....... But 😆 Imagine the scenario where a person / outfit gets an HMRC investigation. In the course of investigation it comes to light that a casual labourer is engaged for general ground tasks.... Not inconceivable. Where are the PAYE files or Labour only invoices? What there ain’t none? Well how are they paid? They take wood. Ah, what is the value of the wood? ...... and the next thing you know you’re in the Royal Courts of Justice trying to explain to the Tribunal judge the difference in “value” of green Arb arisings as distinct from split, stacked, seasoned, delivered firewood. Just a precautionary tale on a rainy lunchtime whilst watching PMQs 😂😂 That aside, get on and do the CS30/31. You’ll love it and it will make YOU safer and more efficient regardless of how you use the new skills. It’s a couple hundred squid or so? Treat yourself and call it a holiday / break / personal development whatever 👍🏻

They're not walking boots Sam, they're climbing / work boots - very different animals by design and intent. If you try and compare them with previous walking boots you will surely be disappointed. Conversely, try climbing / gaffs with them and you (should) be delighted...

and O licence

😂🤣😂

That’s what I’m talking about 😂😂😂😂😂

That’s a fair point. The OCD prevents me leaving it long enough to bulk up 😫

Don’t sweat it pal..... You’re unlikely to make it past first base on current evidence 😂

Thought about a circ saw.

I’m not sure it is harsh Chris. The 90’s is 30 years ago. I want to add a very current, relevant and brilliantly funny back story but it’ll have to wait a little while. Haven’t seen you posting for ages Chris. Hope all well and happy New Year an all that. 👍🏻

It is Arb arisings (I don’t refer to it as waste - it’s all good 😂.) Not for commercial purposes, more for domestic consumption. Currently stack cord in a frame (+/- ¾ ton) and run a big bar saw down the stack. Dumpy bag 10 mins. Got a big vertical splitter for rings. It’s more an attempt to streamline handling for medium diameter stuff - cut split conveyor straight into a dumpy. Not convinced it’s got legs, but gotta spend the money somewhere!

Can't see from the pic, is the tree in your garden or on the highway? Are YOU the tree owner? It's only partly of interest since the tree owner gets to decide what might happen after the LA has issued the decision. If you don't own the tree you've got even less than the already slim chance of getting what (you think) you want. Might be best spend a bit of cash on getting the allergy identified properly since it may not even be the tree and you'd likely be North of £2k light in pocket if you did get an approval and paid for a removal. For that sort of mullah you'd be better off getting a air purifier and some private health screening. Sounds like a typically slack LA with that ATPO though. Should last no longer than 6 months! Tree Preservation Orders and trees in conservation areas - GOV.UK WWW.GOV.UK Explains the legislation governing Tree Preservation Orders and tree protection in conservation areas.

Anyone using the smaller processors for home use and lower volume log production? End of FY is nearly upon us and it's time to start looking for kit that will make like easier. Not looking for the big kit, something that will breakdown arb arisings for firewood and make life a bit easier on the old back. I'll prob ask the question in the MultiOne thread to see if anyone is using the mini-loader mounted types but kind of favouring the stand alone versions. Any comments, recommendations, warnings gratefully received. Currently got the Japa 305 / 315 looking like strong contenders.

It’s rare to see such utter drivel - congratulations! You appear to epitomise much of what is wrong with the public sector (apparently based upon a low level of experience, knowledge and achievement) whilst accusing ‘others’ of being parochial 😂 The increasingly nonsensical and contradictory nature of your content, juxtaposed with self declared wealth and success, and your membership of just about every UK political party, presents a most peculiar picture. Are you the unholy bastard child amalgamation of Matelot and Vesp with a newly found work ethic (post public sector employment) which would make Stefan the stump look like a slacker? You’d probably find folk a good deal more engaging if you saved your (presumably) well considered contributions to the relative benefits / disadvantages of demin v tap water for window cleaning or such like. You know, things that you might be able to contribute from a position of knowledge / experience. Bejeeezus, there goes the New Year resolution....

fireworks an hour early for midnight but just right for CET and GBs departure from EU 🏋️🇬🇧 💂🏻🎩💥🍻🏆🎯✂️ Brexit: New era for UK as it completes separation from European Union Brexit: New era for UK as it completes separation from European Union WWW.BBC.CO.UK Boris Johnson celebrates the "freedom in our hands" as the long Brexit process comes to a conclusion.

Taught him when he was a pup 😂

I did a quick google. It appears that it is right that full time NHS staff are prohibited from taking agency roles... But that only came into effect from April 2017. Prior to that, it must be assumed that they could take additional paid employment during periods when they were on 'rest' time mandated in T&Cs and viciously defended by Unison - strike action in 2016 (Drs), 2017 (nurses) and 2020 (nurses NI.) Putting aside the question of whether pay & T&Cs are appropriate / sufficient, the glaring hypocrisy of defending mandated rest periods whilst turning a Nelsonian blind eye to work in rest periods is what I call union BS. Ban on agency shifts at other trusts comes in from April | Nursing Times WWW.NURSINGTIMES.NET The regulator NHS Improvement wrote to trusts in February warning them about the forthcoming new rul...

Madness. Exactly the sort of madness that encourages evangelical hysteria and provides the 'meaning' to lost souls.

"enforcement" will be an interesting challenge. A coincidental 'coming together' of 10s? 100s? 1000s? of individuals taking their unrestricted opportunity for individual outdoor exercise... Your Honour....

Thank you for that which I’ll take as a true and accurate statement of circumstances. I didn’t know that and it answers a question I previously couldn’t find an answer to. If we take Silverhookers response as accurate it dispels the reason why I thought (mistakenly) there WAS a problem. The ‘problem’, as I mistakenly saw it, was that Union enforced rest days, salary and general T&Cs being routinely trotted out as justification for Drs & nurses striking (might seem like an eternity ago given all that has occurred in 2020) would clearly have been highly inappropriate if those same Drs & nurses were voluntarily working extra time for extra money as agency staff whilst striking for pay and conditions in the day job. Public sector unions that demand ‘rest days’ whilst public sector employees work additional hours in other jobs - that’s what boils my pi55.