The secret engineer

摘要

One of the hidden perils of being the Secret Engineer is that you earn money outside of the usual accounting system. This additional income has to be declared and consequently the dreaded 'self-assessment' form filled in. Now, whereas I'm not too shabby on the engineering front I have a real blind spot when it comes to sorting out finances. An appreciation of profit and economy - yes. The ability to look at a form asking for 'pre-taxed acceptable profits outside of sub-clause b as recognised by bylaw 32a' and the like - no. Still, that's fine. That's why I became an engineer and not an accountant. Therefore the fact that we live in a society where we have to commit to a high personal level of financial self-determination, invariably leading to the consulting of a financial adviser, has always puzzled and angered me in equal measure.