A rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. That quote from Romeo and Juliet has occupied my thoughts this last week. As an Israeli judge found recently, the concept is only a 'truth universally acknowledged' to the extent the rose is inarguably a rose. And, in the process, the learned gentleman took pains…
Dead Wrong
It's bad enough that, thanks to the controversy surrounding Brexit, the average Briton no longer lives with peace of mind. From April 1 they will no longer die with peace of mind. A headline-grabbing exaggeration perhaps, but probate fees for opening a file to deal with a deceased person's estate are due to jump from…
Ain’t no Bonanza
Jay Leno once went walkabout in New York asking innocent passers-by if they could name a country beginning with the letter 'U'. Apart from the usual camera induced deer-in-the-headlights non-responses, a few bright sparks came up with Uganda and Uruguay. At the close of the piece, as the camera faded out, Leno was heard asking:…
Prospecting for tax
If you hear the term: 'sans frontieres', it is odds on that - after 'French' - the first thing that will come into your mind is 'Medicins Sans Frontieres', that truly remarkable international humanitarian medical NGO founded in 1971 and based in Switzerland. Add to that 'Avocats Sans Frontieres', the human rights lawyers, and a…
Monkey business
In its relentless efforts to clean us all up, the Israeli Tax Authority has just thrown another spanner in the works of the well-greased black market. Meek householders faced by odd-job men demanding cash as they flex their bulging muscles, not to mention seasoned mafiosi and disgraced politicians, will be questioning my timing. Surely, the…
Tax Break 