MONEY MORSELS
Taxing deadline
MORE than a quarter of taxpayers have yet to file their self-assessment with just a week to go until the deadline. So far around eight million people have completed their tax return, leaving more than three million still to file, says HMRC. The deadline is January 31 and there is a £100 penalty if you miss it, even if you don’t owe tax.
Mental wealth
INSURERS that refuse cover to those with anxiety or depression should be investigated, MPs say. People who have suffered mild depression or anxiety have been charged inflated premiums or refused life insurance altogether. Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb called for the practice to be probed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Mistaken identity
A MAN who was sent a £25,000 gold watch by mistake after a courier mixed up its delivery address was taken to court for keeping it. Michael Bold, 47, was sentenced to a 14-week suspended jail term and 200 hours of unpaid work for holding on to the 18-carat Patek Philippe rose gold watch. When he received it at work, he left it assuming it was for a colleague. He claimed he intended to give the watch away if no one claimed it.
Stamp duty fail
THE Government’s decision to scrap stamp duty south of the Border for first-time buyers has done little to boost demand. Nearly nine in ten surveyors say they haven’t seen any boost in enquiries from first-time buyers since stamp duty was axed on purchases up to £300,000 in November, report the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Customer outrage
TALKTALK is the most complained-about broadband firm in the UK, according to the latest report from regulator Ofcom. Customers complained to the watchdog nearly 250 times a day between July and September 2017. Sky generated the lowest volume of complaints — just seven for every 100,000 customers. The Post Office was worst for landline services and Vodafone received the most complaints from mobile telephone users.
Speedy split
COUPLES can now file for divorce online with the Co-op. The new service is expected to slash the time taken to complete the process from between six and nine months down to four to six months. Divorcing couples will be able to start their proceedings from home, the Co-op says.
Broadband trick
THE best broadband deals are advertised at end of the month or quarter when firms are under pressure to meet new customer targets, according to new research by comparison site Ctrlio. It says customers could save up to £176 a year on their internet bill if they shop around at the right time.