It sounds more like a case for Mulder and Scully than a serious submission to the UK tax authority…
Yet HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has revealed that one man who failed to file his tax return on time blamed the fact that his wife was “seeing aliens” and wouldn’t let him enter the house.
The X Files-style explanation is one of a number of bizarre excuses published by tax officials ahead of the deadline for filing tax returns online at the end of the month.
Other slightly surreal attempts by taxpayers to explain away why they missed a previous deadline included a claim that their business “doesn’t really do anything” or that coffee had been spilled on the document.
One man said he had been too busy to give the paperwork his attention because his time had been spent touring Britain with a one-man play, while another gentleman complained his ex-wife had left the tax return upstairs and, given that he was prone to vertigo, he had been unable to retrieve it!
HMRC also published some of the slightly strange expenses claims which they had rejected in the past 12 months.
These included veterinary fees for a rabbit, hotel room service (for candles and prosecco) and a three-piece suite – which would allegedly give the taxpayer’s partner somewhere to sit when he was busy dealing with his return.
Last but not least was the peculiar case of an individual who clearly enjoyed sausage and chips very much, as they made a claim for the meal on no less than 250 days!
Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Director General of Customer Services, said: “Each year we’re making it easier and more intuitive for our customers to complete their tax return, but each year we still come across some questionable excuses, whether that’s blaming a busy touring schedule or seeing aliens.
“However, help will always be provided for those who have a genuine excuse for not submitting their return on time.”
As regards some of the odder expenses claims, she said: “It is unfair to make honest taxpayers pick up the bill for other people’s spurious claims, so HMRC will only accept sincere claims such as legitimate expenses for a job.”