Tax

I don't often write plain gripes, but I'll make an exception. I'm just doing my tax return: eurgh.

I have a theory about why tax remains so irksome. People who work in the tax system are those who are comfortable with that kind of Byzantine rule-based finance-y topic. This makes it impossible for them to empathise with the mind-numbing dullness - to the point where we'll procrastinate to the point of penalty - experienced by those of us who don't have that mindset/aptitude. They think failure to deal with tax is wilful laziness, because it would be for them. In fact many who go into the field of tax bureaucracy are probably borderline-autistic to have an aptitude in that area, which further worsens their ability to understand how anyone can feel differently about it. It also means that their regular attempts to simplify the interface to the system or make it friendlier - such as the hated Hector - are never enough, because they simply can't grasp how forbidding it is, how even the sight of that grey-blue plastic envelope saying Please open immediately invokes the exact opposite reaction of throwing the thing in a corner and letting it gather dust for a year. Even Adam Hart-Davis, who fronted the tax adverts, say the UK tax system is too complicated, especially for the self-employed.

As I said, I'm doing my bastard tax return.