Inland Review letter

November 28, 2003 1:27 PM

Apparently genuine reply to a letter sent to the Inland Revenue. "I must take issue with your description of our last as a "begging letter". It might perhaps more properly be referred to as a "tax demand". This is how we, at the Inland Revenue have always, for reasons of accuracy, traditionally referred to such documents." [via Orbyn, via Cal]
posted by feelinglistless (9 comments total)

Heh. That was great.
posted by dobbs at 2:31 PM on November 28, 2003

This is up there with the Australopithecus spiff-arino letter.
(First of many possible links to the same document that I found.)
posted by uosuaq at 2:53 PM on November 28, 2003

it was in the guardian/observer money section a while back... they made it all up.
posted by pots at 3:08 PM on November 28, 2003

It's a rare reply that really troubles to quote all the funny bits like that; and an even rarer bureaucrat that would actually write such a reply.

It's a time-honored comic authorship technique that occurs in fictional writing a lot more often than it's likely to in real life.
posted by George_Spiggott at 3:30 PM on November 28, 2003

Oh, god. I have a friend I can totally doing the fake archaeology reports.

More, more with the funny letters! I was laughing!
posted by five fresh fish at 3:30 PM on November 28, 2003

Refresh and rejoyce fresh fish as I post the legendary (among geeks) IBM Mouse Balls
posted by elpapacito at 3:43 PM on November 28, 2003

The original at the Guardian. Chris Addison writes the 'Funny Money' column on Saturdays; he's a comedian. (Are there more funny letters by him? But of course. Or why not sift through the lot.)
posted by rory at 3:46 PM on November 28, 2003

And, of course, the NTL Letter, of uncertain origin (perhaps someone can help me..)
posted by wibbler at 9:02 AM on November 30, 2003

Speaking as an ntl: customer, that letter looked about right to me..
posted by salmacis at 3:28 PM on December 1, 2003