A Christmas quiz 

Set by one of our tax experts, this annual Christmas Quiz is considered one of the toughest around and so has been renamed 'That evil quiz'. It's worth entering because the winner will get a free VTaxP Toolkit of 2021. The choice of toolkit is yours. Details at the bottom.

  1. In respect of what tax, does Finance Act 2020 define the word 'thing'?

  2. Which television presenter lost his IR35 case and was held to be employed by ITV? He told the tribunal that he was the best television presenter in the country, who could do the job better than anyone else. He considers himself the market leader in the field.

  3. What two changes were made to the currency in the first two months of 2020? One wished peace to all nations. The other showed a ship used to attack the French.

  4. What tax change announced in January 2020 will save taxpayers a maximum of 36 pence a year?

  5. Which popular entertainer surprised his fellow entertainers by hugging US president Richard Nixon in 1972? In February 2020, it was disclosed that he did this was because he thought the President could get him off a tax bill.

  6. What was £1 million in 2008, £2 million in 2020, £5 million less than three months later, £10 million in 2011 and then fell back to £1 million in March 2020?

  7. According to Deviant Behaviour magazine in July 2020, what tax service is offered in Italy by 48 providers for $5,000 a go?

  8. What figure in 2020 was budgeted at £1,000 but proved to be £32.79 million?

  9. To which post was the appropriately named Keith Weed appointed in July 2020?

  10. Which Labour finance spokesperson, appointed in 2020, has a name which is an anagram of DANDELION SEEDS?

  11. Which former king fled his country in 2020 to avoid being questioned on financial matters? His son-in-law is serving a prison sentence for tax evasion.

  12. Why did Kate Forbes deliver the Scottish Budget speech 11 days before she was appointed as finance secretary?

  13. According to the Association of Accounting Technicians this year, what do Mick Jagger, Eddy Izzard and Janet Jackson all have in common?

  14. What 5p charge is to be doubled to 10p in April 2021, according to a government statement in August 2020?

  15. A Tribunal cancelled a tax penalty imposed on Prubjit Manku because he was not speaking to his wife. What was the penalty imposed for?

  16. For what categories of worker did TSB offer mortgages in July 2020 of a maximum of £4.50?

  17. What do the following have in common: skywriting, lion taming, plastic straws and menthol cigarettes?

  18. How many days separated the announcements of the government’s Better Health campaign to get us to eat less, and the Eat Out to Help Out scheme to get us to eat more?

  19. What category of 7,000 soldiers were told they would receive an extra average of £850 a year and minimum of £12 if they earn more than £28,443?

  20. Which classical musician who died in 2020 was often in trouble with Inland Revenue because he was paid in cash? He played the lute and pocketed the loot.

  21. Which pop musician who died in 2020 had problems with Customs and Excise over VAT? When bailiffs called over unpaid congestion charge, he poured petrol over their car and set it alight, for which he served a prison sentence.

  22. Cecilia and Florence came to the UK in 2020 on a five-year contract to do some boring work for a government-backed scheme. What is it?

  23. Which former Chancellor of the Exchequer had to pay an extra £48,000 in June 2020 because of an additional tax charge he introduced?

  24. What residence record was set by Vera Bunting on 22 September 2020?

Answers 

Please email your answers to our Christmas elf Steve 

Prizes 

Points mean prizes and the winner will be drawn on 5 January 2021.

First prize is a subscription to one of our brand new VTaxP Toolkits of 2021. You will be able to choose which one you prefer. 

Too difficult?

Don't give up, you can try our much easier multiple choice quiz instead: Can I appeal that?