TAX - IT'S ALL A MATTER OF INTERPRETATION

It's that time of the year again, when the average Hong Kong salaryman has to cough up part II of their annual tax payments. Across the city expats and locals alike are scribbling out large cheques, smudging their signatures with tears at the thouht that the payments are going to support the cringeworthy Tung Chee-Hwa and his grubby little cabal of pro-Beijing legisaltors and land development billionaires who are desperately trying to ensure their side of the bread remains buttered during the current "debate" on democracy.

But perhaps there's a way out of the payment, and a way to strike a blow that will be heard, unlike the efforts of the penniless students.

In keeping with the current trend to "reinterpret" perfectly clear English phrases such as "subsequent to the year 2007" to mean "never" and "such amendments must be made with the endorsement of a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Legco and the consent of the chief executive, and they shall be reported to the NPC Standing Committee for approval." to mean "you'll never get approval and you'll never have democracy so give up now before we send the tanks in", if we all stood together and reinterpreted "your payment of $xxx is due by x April. Late payment will incur an automatic fine" to mean "no need to pay" then that would hit the HK and Beijing Governments in the only place they really hurt - the wallet!

Of course we won't, because when it comes down to it we're all looking after no.1 and if we did refuse to pay then we would at best have our visas revoked and be thrown out of the country and back to our homelands and their lovely 40%+ tax rates, and at worst spend a bit of time in one of Hong Kongs, or even Beijings, correctional institutes, but it's a fine thought.

If only I had principles.