Read this IMMEDIATELY

....Don't really it's not that important. I'd say read my blog at your leisure, don't try and read it whilst driving, or mowing a lawn or whilst making jelly, or whilst trying to have an argument. Read it when your procrastinating or having a bit of time off. I hope I haven't in anyway pressurised you into reading this when there are more important things you could have been doing.

The above paragraph is something HMRC need to learn from. I came home today from a lovely trip out seeing some art with one of my best mates Rachel to find this letter saying 'PLEASE OPEN IMMEDIATELY' I was just about to press in the code on our house alarm which is the first thing I do when I get in. I think this is the kind of task that needs immediate attention because if you leave it for about 30 seconds the alarm will go off and upset the whole street.

I had a dilemma for a second, 'IMMEDIATELY' according to dictionary.com means 'without lapse of time; without delay; instantly; at once' whereas the alarm had 30 seconds before it needed seeing to. As I am not really that stupid I did the alarm first, and thank goodness I did because when I then opened the letter it contained a form that needed to be completed by 31st October so I actually have more than 6 months on that. Perhaps HMRC need to change their envelopes to say 'PLEASE OPEN SOONISH' or 'THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT ONE DAY DON'T LOOSE IT'

I wonder whether it would be possible to sue HMRC because you had some kind of accident that would have been avoided if you hadn't opened their letter with such haste. For example say you were a lion tamer and you were about to lock the lions up in their cages and then the letter came through the letter box and you rushed to open it, leaving the lions to escape, and whilst you're reading your self assessment tax form (that you have 6 months to complete) the lions pounce and rip off your arm.

Also if they want things done so quickly why are they sending it in the royal mail? Why don't they employ Olympic runners to distribute them? Or a slightly more cost effective solution...email. This is an organisation that took 5 years from the moment I told them they owed me money, to the moment it was in my bank. I don't think they have the right to tell me to do something immediately. Rant Over.