Well, yesterday was “Q-day” The date that I should qualify for my income-tax rebate under the “seafarers” regulations, due to the fact that I spend more time out of the UK than I do in. With all this in mind, I found a program that will do all the calculations on your tax return and submit it electronically to the Inland Revenue’s web site. Under the impression that this would be a breeze for a man of my calibre, I proceeded to do the business. Filling in the form was simple, and as promised, all the calculations were done automatically, so after saving the form I moved on to try and send it. Well after three attempt and three error messages from the program, I decided to stop for the time being and go check my emails. Waiting in my in-box were three emails from the inland revenue, the first say “thank you for using our electronic service… we have received your return form.” The two later messages saying “thank you for trying but, there was an error in your submission” So now, I’m having to send their helpdesk an email saying “look, have you got it or not???” though I guess I should perhaps be a little more polite! Hahaah In the mean time work is progressing with the commissioning of our new equipment. There was a bit of a panic (not to mention a looonnnnggg shift) after it was discovered that part of the wiring we had done was to the first draft of a wiring instruction, which had subsequently been changed twice without us being told about it. Still, everything appears to be wired correctly now (all’s well that ends…) so tomorrow the tests will continue to see if the automatic control system does actually do what it’s supposed to! We are at the moment sailing down the fjord between Stord and Haugesund, so that by 8am, we should be there and ready for the ship to go into dry-dock.
