How we tax the taxman with excuses

DON’T bother coming up with a clever excuse to give tax inspectors for failing to hand in your annual return on time – they’ve heard them all before.

One of those who missed the January 31 deadline last year – which carries a £100 fine – claimed their mother-in-law was a witch and had put a curse on them, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs said yesterday.

Another said: ‘I was just too busy. My first maid left, my second stole from me, and my third was very slow to learn.’

Among the more than 745,000 who filed their tax return late, one complained of being ‘too short to reach the postbox’.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC director general of customer services, said: ‘Help will always be provided for those who have a genuine excuse, but it’s unfair to honest taxpayers when others make bogus claims.’