test please delete

[zeitghost]

Last day for Zeity, bet you're happy.

Anything planned during the break?

Gardening.

Painting.

Car MOTing.

Probably other crap I've forgotten.

[Mich the Tester]

no contract then everything would go to my family in the ould sod.

Not before the tax office steal most of it.

[norrahe]

Not before the tax office steal most of it.

I was quite surprised about that.

[Mich the Tester]

I was quite surprised about that.

It doesn't surprise me at all because this country's governments have a voracious appetite for money, and that appetite has only got more voracious since the big banking bugger-up.

[norrahe]

It doesn't surprise me at all because this country's governments have a voracious appetite for money, and that appetite has only got more voracious since the big banking bugger-up.

Compared with what they slice and dice in the UK, I am. Though I may have to consider my options once the 30% ruling runs out, as I don't particularly want to get taxed on uk assets.

[Mich the Tester]

Compared with what they slice and dice in the UK, I am. Though I may have to consider my options once the 30% ruling runs out, as I don't particularly want to get taxed on uk assets.

You see, once upon a time, about 20 years ago when I arrived in the Swamp, taxes were high but there were lots of tax breaks; you could even deduct consumer credit interest from your income tax, you could deduct pension and life policy contributions as well as your mortgage interest, and to top it all, what you got in return was excellent public provision, affordable healthcare, reliable and cheap public transport and almost everybody lived in quite decent housing. Even though I was never a lefty I could see the good side of the relatively high taxes. Since then, successive governments have 'saved us money' and 'made things more efficient' by privatising public transport, allowing housing corporations to go corporate and list on the stock exchange, selling off the elecrticity companies and abolishing the 'ziekenfonds' which provided health insurance for people on lower incomes. We now pay more tax, healthcare costs more than ever and takes more from the state than ever, public transport is no better, arguably worse and lagging behind the rest of Europe by 20 years, providing for your own pension is harder than ever partly because tht tax break's been limited, and people are more dissatisfied with their government than at any time in the past. And all the while, with all this extra revenue for the government, the country's debt just keeps on growing.

It's brilliant; perhaps the Brits should try it someday

[norrahe]

You see, once upon a time, about 20 years ago when I arrived in the Swamp, taxes were high but there were lots of tax breaks; you could even deduct consumer credit interest from your income tax, you could deduct pension and life policy contributions as well as your mortgage interest, and to top it all, what you got in return was excellent public provision, affordable healthcare, reliable and cheap public transport and almost everybody lived in quite decent housing. Even though I was never a lefty I could see the good side of the relatively high taxes. Since then, successive governments have 'saved us money' and 'made things more efficient' by privatising public transport, allowing housing corporations to go corporate and list on the stock exchange, selling off the elecrticity companies and abolishing the 'ziekenfonds' which provided health insurance for people on lower incomes. We now pay more tax, healthcare costs more than ever and takes more from the state than ever, public transport is no better, arguably worse and lagging behind the rest of Europe by 20 years, providing for your own pension is harder than ever partly because tht tax break's been limited, and people are more dissatisfied with their government than at any time in the past. And all the while, with all this extra revenue for the government, the country's debt just keeps on growing.

It's brilliant; perhaps the Brits should try it someday

Well I've only been living here for 3 years, and get a nice tax break at the moment as well as tax relief on my mortgage.

This will change in 7 years when that nice tax break runs out....

[NickFitz]

Afternoon denizens

[norrahe]

Almost home time

[zeitghost]

I've got someone coming to see the proximity detector at half past 3.

It was supposed to be at half past two.

Actually it was supposed to be at two o'clock.