Taxing times

Sorry I’m a bit late. I’m running a little behind on things these days.

Into the tax system
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The tax year runs from 1 October to 30 September. So I had to register with the tax authorities. This seemed a bit risky, given that I don’t have a visa. However, I headed off to the ‘tributación’, which is the tax office with the Ministerio de Hacienda.

She asked when it was to date from, so I said I guessed May 1st when I started with the school. She said that there would be a fine for not having done it at the time, so she suggested that I say I started today, and avoid the fine. Fair enough! And she didn’t even ask for a visa.

There followed 15 minutes of stamping forms, and printing off multiple copies of a letter telling me my tax number. She wrote the number in their register of numbers, which was a Spongebob Squarepants jotter. I was then given a little folder with 26 leaflets on various aspects of the tax system. Twenty-six leaflets! Registration of contributors1, 2 and 3, tax on rental income, guide to retentions at source, required receipts, tax system online, etc.

The first C1,629,000 is 0%, then up to C2,433,000 at 10%, C4,058,000 at 15%, C8,132,00 at 20% and anything over at 25%. But you can use receipts for your rent, your water and electricity bills, and your mobile phone if you’re lucky enough to have one, as allowable expenses. Bar and restaurant receipts are also allowable expenses! Not covered though are cable bills, landline phones or supermarket receipts.

Anyway, because I didn’t start working until May, I will be under the tax threshold for this tax year, so I just have to keep my expense receipts for the tax year 2006.

The Tico washing machine
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In the division of labour while Jack was still here, he got custody of the washing machine. Now I have the unhappy task of struggling with the Tico ‘semi-automatic’ washing machine. To call it a washing machine really is a misnomer. It’s more like a motorised sink. You fairly much have to do everything yourself. The make is called Mabe, which I assume is a play on words meaning that ‘maybe’ your wash will be done, or ‘maybe’ your clothes will just get covered in a coating of fluff.

It’s top loading, and there are two sections; one for washing and one for spinning. You put the clothes in, and because there is a problem with the connecting hose I have to fill it with water from a bucket on several trips from the sink. Then you turn it on. ‘On’ means that a turntable moves your clothes clockwise and anti-clockwise for 15 minutes. You repeat this a couple of times, then flick a switch to empty the water. Then you transfer the clothes into the spinner. You need to readjust the load about three times because the spinner knocks off the sides until it’s balanced. You repeat this procedure, moving the clothes over and back, until your wash is rinsed. It’s such a chore!

And I know there is always a laugh about where your socks go when you are just left with odd ones. I know exactly where mine go. They are down in the drum beside the spinner. I can see them, but I can’t get them out.

Wilma!
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Another very rainy week, because of Hurricane Wilma. Although we’re not in the hurricane zone, we definitely get very heavy rain each time one of them hits the coast up north. It also brought down the English Horizons website yesterday, because the servers are in Boca Raton in Florida, and they were put out of action in the storm. So I wasn’t able to give my class.
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OK, that’s it for another week. I have to decide now on a costume for Thursday, as it’s the custom for all the teachers to dress up for Halloween.