A dig at the taxman, wherever they are

Our income tax rules are incredibly one-sided, especially in terms of penalties.
If we did not pay within 30 days, 10% is added; if still unpaid, another 5%. Even if you have reason to believe that they have over-assessed, you have to pay first, sort out later. Yet, for tax refunds, we have to write to ask for it! Anyway, my refund has yet to be sent to me and it is time for submission again - one whole year of waiting in vain. Not earning interest while they sit on it because they are not liable to pay interest - how convenient!

For those who are not fans of Jeff Ooi, I wish to share chartered accountant Radha Vengadasalam's joke which appeared in Jeff's blog:

At the end of the tax year, the Tax Office sent an inspector to audit the books at a synagogue.

While he was checking the books, he turned to the rabbi and said: "I notice you buy a lot of candles. What do you do with the candle drippings?"

"Good question," said the Rabbi. "We save them up and send them back to the candle makers, and every now and then they send us a free box of candles."

"Oh, do you now," replied the auditor a little disappointed that his unusual question had been met with such a practical answer. But on he went in his obnoxious way.

"What about all the matzo you have purchased," he asked. "What do you do with all the crumbs?"

"Ah, yes," replied the Rabbi, realising that the auditor was trying to trap him with an unanswerable question.

"We collect them, send them back to the bakery and every now and then they send us a free box of matzo balls."

"Hmmm..." replied the auditor, beginning to realise that the Rabbi was more than a match for him.

"Well then rabbi," he continued, determined to catch him out, "what do you do with all the left over foreskins from the circumcisions you perform?"

"Here too, we do not waste," answered the Rabbi without a blink. "We save them and send them to the tax office. And about once a year they send us a complete prick."