Saturday, May 31, 2008

I'm glad that one's over.

This week has been yet another busy one, exams to supervise, postcards to prepare and administration to sort out. As I was looking for work when I set up my business I’m entitled to some allowances. In theory my social security charges etc should be smaller for two years. This year something went wrong and I’ve been charged at the highest level. Last month we were advised to bounce the payment by one department and then received a letter from another department to say I would be charged twice next month. Fortunately the problem has been sorted and I should get a refund. Then Rob took the tax forms in. These are more simple than in the past and now arrive printed with the declaration of how much you earned in the past year from any employers you might have. This is a very new idea. Imagine how much extra money they are raking in!

Dom phoned, she will be taking her driving test on Tuesday so please keep your fingers crossed. What she really wanted to know was what was the question which gives you the answer 42. You see I’m a mother who knows everything. I advised her not to search for the question as if she finds it the universe will probably come to an end. Then I had another phone call a couple of days later. She has had a ‘mention très bien’ for her exams and came first in her year; I am a very proud mummy indeed, as you can imagine. Well done Dom!

Olivier had a letter from the ministry of Defence. The second, so I was just hoping he hadn’t signed up yet. Do you remember that I wrote that he had a train ticket to nowhere when he was called up for the day? Well, they handed their unused tickets in and got a cheque for 8€ travelling expenses (that was the letter). As he only went two stops after his lycée anyway to get there he used his school journeys which we paid for at the beginning of the year. Rob and Olivier couldn’t help wondering how much all that cost the government.

2 comments:

Voegtli said...

It is a hassle with administration. Being a few weeks from my retirement, I am struggling with the social security department. I thought that everything would be automatic through my employer. But no, I have to fill in a form, go to a notary to have my wife's and my signature authenticated, bring proof that we are married and and and..!

As for the income tax, I did it online and that is settled. Except that I will, as usual since many years, get reminders for the payment of the tax.

PS. I still have the "page 123" to do.

Anji said...

Peter: Administration here is very complicated, but once you're in the sytem it's fine. Rob handed in the papers. The next day he received a vital additional paper from his employer, the minisrty of culture so we had to send an amendment. Fortunately this is standard practice apparently.