Headstart: Pensions - Tax Reform Group.
A week in the life of John Andrews, chairman of the Low Incomes.
Friday[QQ] Asked to keep diary and reviewed last few issues of Accountancy Age.
Found that Peter Wyman seemed to work 23 hours a day and decided that one of us had got it wrong.
Had a morning meeting at Somerset House to discuss the LITRG report on students. Delighted to find a constructive response from the Revenue to our 10 recommendations for change. Agreed to set up a joint working group.
Afternoon meeting with Help the Aged’s new policy officer to discuss further joint ventures.
Monday Arranged a gentlemanly timed train (I am retired) to London. Found trains colliding at Hither Green not conducive to travel. Changed plans, made phone calls, got on a train to Victoria and felt pleased as I would now miss the problem areas.
Train ambles through Kent countryside until Connex makes a unilateral decision to divert it to Cannon St. Too late to collect overheads for evening talk and I go direct to court meeting of the Company of Tax Advisers.
Day saved by Bianca at the Chartered Institute of Taxation who diverts on her way home by motorbike to deliver my overheads at Guildhall. What a service! Gave an evening lecture on LITRG and the pensioner at the LSE.
Tuesday Up at 5am to get first Eurostar to Brussels. Reflect on the fact that if Eurostar breakfasts get any smaller they could be reclassified for VAT as sweets. Spent all day on CFE issues (tax advisers body in Europe).
Want to see website, which is currently managed in Germany, improved.
Somehow end up volunteering to redesign it.
Wednesday
Resources & Whitepapers
Accounting Software The power of customisation in accounting systems
Up at 6am and start writing to pensioners who have been defeated by the Revenue’s unthinking computers. Hope that when Alzheimers’ hits me the Revenue has improved its customer service.
Finalise a meeting with Treasury for next Monday. Good that it wants to listen to LITRG. End the day on a sour note as it seems the Revenue head office is putting obstacles in the way of our pilot in Wolverhampton to give free tax advice to poor pensioners. Go to see film Chocolat with my wife. Live it up afterwards at Pizza Express.
Thursday
Watch a video produced by my two sons’ charity, Music for Change, to be shown at Charlton v Leeds on Saturday. It has been five weeks since I have seen Charlton play so I am thankful I have my football email.
Travel to London to attend ATT admission ceremony at the House of Lords.