The temptation for many if they are employing a trades person is to take the offer of paying in cash to avoid VAT. 

Tough luck now for such self-employed together with those who've never payed a penny in tax or NI in the first place !

Originally Posted by: llamedos 

They are the bane of my life. You think it would be easier now. I just say, sorry mate, never carry cash. But just had my patio done and discussed payment - bank transfer. When I go to do it it's not in the company name but a personal current account! I will be very glad if those people do badly out of this after ripping off the UK tax system with no pressure from governments via HMRC not to do so.

Originally Posted by: fairweather 

I see the anti-self employed mob are wheeling out all the old cliches today.

Many many many of us declare our income and pay our fair share of tax. But you carry on with your stereotypes.

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

The fact that so many people had an untypical virus infection at the end of December through January needs to be taken more seriously by the medical fraternity instead of being dismissed out of hand. I had it. Loads of anecdotes the same on here. Go on other social media the same. I mentioned it at the time (remember this is pre-coronavirus in the media) to friends and family and about one in three either had it or knew somebody. Now we all seem to agree that it was nothing like flu. We all had a very bad cough, dry and unproductive. I had a fever for a day and so did most others. In fact it was the worst cough I have ever had in relation to being completely uncontrollable. Somebody posted today that they were hospitalised and put on a ventilator. If I had breathing problems I would have struggled. People don't bother going to the doctors these days with a cough because they know they will be told "it's just a virus doing the rounds and there's nothing we can do, come back in three weeks if you've still got it." So it also went through largely unreported. These symptoms tie up quite well with Covid-19. I'm not saying it was, it could be a different Corona virus or this a second wave mutated. But from an epidemiological point of view it could be very important to find out what it was. If they asked each new case if they had a cough earlier in the year and they all said "no" it would be very interesting. Then people who had the cough in January could be tested for anti-bodies and if they proved positive it could mean thousands, maybe millions already have had it. 

I don't believe in conspiracy theories as a retired scientist but there seems to be enough evidence not to dismiss it out of hand.

Originally Posted by: fairweather 

We have just had this with the local Residents Association which is set up as a limited compnay - so we have to have an AGM. This was set for Apr 1st but of course that not possible; the laws say that an AGM has to held every year, within 15 months of the last one (i.e. from Mar 2019), and 2 weeks notice to be given. That would mean sending out notices mid-May when I can foresee we will still be in lockdown.

As there are only 12 residents who are also all the shareholders, we have done a virtual AGM, legal or not, with each person replying to the usual questions (approve accounts etc), actually only a formality. Before anyone asks, it has to be done on paper as 3 of the 12 are elderly and don't do computers!

There must be large organisations for which our solution is impossible - will they go for an exemption from from the time limits?

Originally Posted by: DEW 

Hey guys.

In these dark times I just wanted to share the best of news. My friend has just posted (himself) that he is out of danger having been so critical. I can't tell you how relieved I am. This virus has the ability to wipe out young, fit and healthy people, and my mate has been through a horrific time.

He still has a long way to go to recover, but he is out of danger.

Originally Posted by: moomin75 

Hey guys.

In these dark times I just wanted to share the best of news. My friend has just posted (himself) that he is out of danger having been so critical. I can't tell you how relieved I am. This virus has the ability to wipe out young, fit and healthy people, and my mate has been through a horrific time.

He still has a long way to go to recover, but he is out of danger.

Originally Posted by: moomin75 

That's good news Moomin! 

Originally Posted by: ozone_aurora 

Hey guys.

In these dark times I just wanted to share the best of news. My friend has just posted (himself) that he is out of danger having been so critical. I can't tell you how relieved I am. This virus has the ability to wipe out young, fit and healthy people, and my mate has been through a horrific time.

He still has a long way to go to recover, but he is out of danger.

Originally Posted by: moomin75 

  I’ll second that!

Originally Posted by: Caz 

Just had a notice from Rentokil as I am a shareholder. They are going ahead with their AGM 13th May but moving it from a Gatwick hotel to their Head Office i Crawley. Not sure how this makes a difference but I shan't be going along to find out.

Originally Posted by: DEW 

BTW regarding the discussion yesterday about driving somewhere for exercise, it looks like the official advice is that this is not allowed. Makes sense I suppose as otherwise people congregate at popular spots. Although it makes exercising less appealing if you live in a concrete jungle.

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

Our local council have just suspended collection of garden waste and the food waste caddies.

I think refuse collection is about to become a huge problem.

Originally Posted by: Ulric 

Our local council have just suspended collection of garden waste and the food waste caddies.

I think refuse collection is about to become a huge problem.

Originally Posted by: Ulric 

I went down with the mystery lurg after visiting Birmingham one weekend in mid January. Train Machynlleth-New Street (packed), walk through the human maelstrom of the Bull Ring, train Moor Street-Solihull (packed) and on the following day the same in the opposite direction, so I shared a lot of air.

Within a couple of days I had a raging fever, very painful muscles and joints, dry persistent cough, dry nose, diarrhoea and even at the height, urinary incontinence. That took a heck of a lot of managing I can tell you. The fever lasted 2-3 days but the cough went on and on into the following week and I was extraordinarily sleepy - like 16 hours a day. I found the last symptom remarkable, compared to any strain of flu I've had. The urinary incontinence was also something I have never experienced before.

Originally Posted by: John Mason