Yep it's that time of year again, the start of a New Year, which for us accountants means the reckoning and adding up of the results of the Old Year. For those of us in the business, this is known as the Year End.
At the Institute we are in the throes of the Year End. You'll have noticed that it's been quiet round here recently....
I'll spare you the details, but it involves a lot of numbers, and a lot of hours adding up the bloody numbers, and then even more hours spent figuring out which numbers are WRONG.
Because some of them always are.
Even mine sometimes... who'd have thunk it?
The Institutes's Finance team are currently stressed, and ratty, and completely focused on the details. And one detail in particular is starting to really bug me.
Which year would you say we're currently on?
Go on humour me, would you say we are in two thousand and eleven or twenty eleven?
It's a mouthful isn't it? Two thousand and eleven. Remember in the bad old days when only lawyers would talk about being in "nineteen hundred and eighty four"? Well lawyers are paid by the hour, so it probably makes sense they keep the old circumlocution, but everybody else, well we all knew we were in the nineteen whatevers.
I met Wayne in nineteen ninety two. We moved to Scotland in nineteen ninety four, the cherub was born in nineteen ninety six. Not nineteen hundred and ninety six, because that would make him sound incredibly old, non?
We even had cameras back in nineteen hundred and ninety seven
Obviously there's been some kind of mass excitement going on since the millennium - when we got to go into the year TWO THOUSAND, and a New Century... but come on , it's been ten years and we still don't have personnel transporters, intergalactic communications or even a cure for cancer.I'm getting bored with the old two thousand and whatever year thing. Especially now much of my day is spent discussing two thousand and eleven vs two thousand and ten's income.
Can we all agree we're in twenty eleven?
Try it, nice and snappy, twenty eleven.
See? Easies!
Cheers - got to head off and finish twenty ten's books of account... we have a problem on the designated funds y'all.
23 January 2011 at 11:48
Don't. Just don't.
I have to go see the tax office and HMS Gov will be pissed off with me yet again because my tax return will be late. Again.
We're definitely in twenty eleven.
I agree. Keep it Simple.
23 January 2011 at 11:56
Roses - I feel your pain. You could try explaining that you thought taxes were for the little people...
23 January 2011 at 12:24
Every time I write a check I mutter to myself two, ooh, one, one. Is that OK?
23 January 2011 at 12:39
I used to be a 'two thousand and' person, but you have convinced me to try out the 'twenty eleven'....oooh look at me getting all 21st century and modern!! will let you know how I get along with it......what? you could care less if I change or not? you won't be wondering if I change or not? ok.......but I suspect you might be saying twenty eleven and writing 2011 at some time and wonder 'did I convert Libby?'....
23 January 2011 at 13:36
Pat - You write cheques??? Twen..ti..el..ivvin... Now you've got a scottish accent too :)
Libby - Have faith! A couple of twinty elivins and there's no going back!
23 January 2011 at 20:46
I thought there was general consensus on twenty eleven, but some obstinate sods still refer to two thousand and eleven. What do they think they're playing at?
Thank God I don't have to do tax returns. Jenny has had to and they drive her nuts. This year she owed the Inland Revenue £1. There were dire penalties if she didn't pay up....
23 January 2011 at 22:29
This is really sad, but I was a public accountant for mucho years in Denver. Please, PLEASE promise me that you won't ever be a boring nebbish like they were. Just thinking about it is making all the hairs on my arms stand up like two catepillars with freckles.
Since I'm retired, and very tired, I don't even bother with the century. I may be old, but I know what century it is, so I have my 10 taxes to do. 1910, however pronounced, would be asinine.
23 January 2011 at 22:40
Pish! It is and always will be two thousand and eleven. Twenty Eleven is just lazy talk for lazy people. Stop that now Macykins.
Hee. I said pish.
23 January 2011 at 23:35
You write cheques???
How else would I send presents to my grandchildren?
24 January 2011 at 00:08
As someone also afflicted with "Year-End", I can only say that ours ends March 31st.
March 31st, Twenty Eleven.
:-)
Pearl
24 January 2011 at 07:12
Nick - Sigh, there's always the HARDCORE, see Veg below! And the auditors.... pfft if they can't get this right...
Charlie - Good grief! You've been here too! I spend my life with boring Nebbishes.. except they're usually the Scottish version - Presbishes???
Veg - HA! We're going to take a VOTE on this! We ARE! And you're going to be outvoted Veggie Pie!
Pat - Erm, touche.. I suppose a Postal Order is out of the question these days...
Pearl - See that's a nice civilized year end. One where you can compile the numbers while birds sing. Jan 31 is the last day the taxman will accept payment though.
24 January 2011 at 18:11
Macy, I've never had the taxman say to me 'no, no, I won't take your check/card payment'.
Obviously, they do things different in Cheesetown. I'd ask if you wanted a couple of lodgers and a cat, but it's too damned cold up there for me.
24 January 2011 at 19:32
Roses - OK, sorry, the 31st is the last day the taxman will take payment without charging you a walloping great fine and interest.... yeah.. even in Cheesetown...where we've hit a balmy 3 degrees recently!
25 January 2011 at 19:53
Genuinely incisive. Ive been struggling with "two thousand etc" but will henceforth go 20/11. And I'll look forward to 20th November.
26 January 2011 at 07:10
Rog - Can I quote the "Genuinely Incisive" on my blog header???
That's Genuinely Incisive WITHOUT phone tapping btw...
26 January 2011 at 11:57
Oops... I am one of those obstinate sods who like their thousands. Silly, I know... but twenty-eleven sounds so futuristic that I can't get my head round it!
Anyhow... yep, year end... I remember it well.
Sx
26 January 2011 at 19:27
Scarlet - Pfft twothousandandeleven is just a mouthful!
Or is that your point????