10 Oddest Excuses for Late Returns

Here are HM Revenue & Customs’ 10 oddest excuses for sending in a late tax return:

1. My pet goldfish passed away.
2. I had a run-in with a cow.
3. After seeing a volcanic eruption in the news, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else.
4. My wife refuses to give me my mail.
5. I believed my husband when he told me the deadline was 31 March.
6. I’ve been far too busy touring with my one-man play.
7. My bad back means I can’t go upstairs where my tax return is.
8. I’ve been cruising around the world in my yacht and only picking up post when I am on dry land.
9. Our business doesn’t really do anything.
10. I’ve been too busy submitting my clients’ returns.

See ‘My Goldfish Died’: 10 Oddest Excuses for Late Tax Returns, The Independent, Jan. 7, 2014.

Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.)) for bringing this article to my attention.