Taxidermy: Getting under the skin of a tax lawyer

Today we try to bridge the gap between the mundane world of the real and the rather more attractive realms of the ideal. We look at how we are taxed – and at how we should be.

My friend Tracey loves bridge.  She wanted me to learn. Although I was brought up to think of card games as the work of the devil, what Tracey wants, Tracey gets, so over a frosty weekend in January this year I found myself at the Andrew Robson Bridge School …

‘Tax havens are places where senior executives of the world’s largest financial and industrial corporations mix with figures from the artistic or social “jet-set”, together with multimillionaires who combine business with pleasure. They all rub shoulders with somewhat dubious individuals…’

To celebrate Wiggo’s epic victory in this year’s Tour de France, this month’s blog is devoted to things tax and cycling related.

First, the ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme.

‘Black socks, they never get dirty.

The longer you wear ’em, the stiffer they get.

Sometimes, I think of the laundry,

But something inside me says ‘Don’t send them yet.’’

(Children’s song)

Am I becoming obsessed with poultry? Maybe. Two fowl blogs in three months. Well, this is how it happened.

My theatre buddy Gary is sick of hearing about Taxidermy.

As it’s exactly one month before I leave for Melbourne for my annual Australian Open tennis fix, my thoughts turned to tax and tennis. Is there any connection other than tax planning?