Coronavirus

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**Future War Cultist**

Bolsonaro didn’t look too healthy to begin with tbh.

**reds8n**

death and taxes

Employees are to pay additional tax for workplace COVID-19 testing
COVID-19 testing will be treated as a 'Benefits In Kind' by the tax office.

Health and social care workers could face a large tax bill.
New guidance from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) could see frontline health and social care workers pay additional tax for COVID-19 testing.

According to the new guidance, COVID-19 testing undertaken at the expense of an employer is to be treated as a “benefit in kind”, so will be subject to extra income tax for employees.

The guidance states; “Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing kits or tests carried out by a third party which have been purchased by you to provide to your employees are treated as a taxable benefit in kind on the employee.”

Treasury Committee Chairman Mel Stride has warned that for some employees, like health and social care workers, who require regular testing the tax bill could quickly mount up.

“Many employees, especially healthcare and hospitality workers, are required to undergo regular coronavirus testing,” said Mr Stride.

He said the new guidance from HMRC “is unclear and will worry a large number of workers”.

“Many of our key workers could be faced with the perverse incentive of avoiding employer-sponsored tests in order to reduce their tax bill,” he added.

According to the Citizens Advice Beaureu, Benefits in kind are benefits which employees or directors receive from their employment but which are not included in their salary cheque or wages – like a company car or mobile phone.

When questioned on the guidance earlier today, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he will look into the issue “very quickly”.

farcical.

**NinthMusketeer**

Matt Swain wrote:
One thing I am curious about: In your country does freedom of speech cover making clearly false and harmful statements that encourage dangerous and harmful behavior like not wearing masks and claiming covid is just a flu?

I never thought i'd say this but I'm beginning to think we have a little too much free speech in america...

No. One can go on national television and make up outrageous lies, brand them as truth, and repeat them with no consequences. I'm not being sarcastic, that really is how things are here.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

reds8n wrote:

death and taxes

Employees are to pay additional tax for workplace COVID-19 testing
COVID-19 testing will be treated as a 'Benefits In Kind' by the tax office.

Health and social care workers could face a large tax bill.
New guidance from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) could see frontline health and social care workers pay additional tax for COVID-19 testing.

According to the new guidance, COVID-19 testing undertaken at the expense of an employer is to be treated as a “benefit in kind”, so will be subject to extra income tax for employees.

The guidance states; “Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing kits or tests carried out by a third party which have been purchased by you to provide to your employees are treated as a taxable benefit in kind on the employee.”

Treasury Committee Chairman Mel Stride has warned that for some employees, like health and social care workers, who require regular testing the tax bill could quickly mount up.

“Many employees, especially healthcare and hospitality workers, are required to undergo regular coronavirus testing,” said Mr Stride.

He said the new guidance from HMRC “is unclear and will worry a large number of workers”.

“Many of our key workers could be faced with the perverse incentive of avoiding employer-sponsored tests in order to reduce their tax bill,” he added.

According to the Citizens Advice Beaureu, Benefits in kind are benefits which employees or directors receive from their employment but which are not included in their salary cheque or wages – like a company car or mobile phone.

When questioned on the guidance earlier today, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he will look into the issue “very quickly”.

farcical.

Hopefully that will be reversed sooner rather than later. Stupidest timeline indeed.

**Bran Dawri**

ScarletRose wrote:

I definitely think what constitutes healthcare advice (which can be regulated) should be expanded a bit.

It might also help cut into the lucrative "supplements" market too.

Not to mention at least curtail homeopathy as well as other such quackery, and preferably outright end it.

**Voss**

Not Online!!! wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:
President Bolsanaro of Brazil has tested positive for Coronavirus.

on the level of facepalms, this one is ironic.

Karmic, more than ironic. He's made a lot of hay about how trivial the disease is. Just yesterday he was insisting he didn't have it because he played a lot of sports as a young man and was therefor resistant.

**Future War Cultist**

I can’t believe how often I get called a leftist these days on account of the pandemic. It’s very weird.

Bolsonaro will probably survive this but considering his age and stuff it’ll likely knock him one for six at least.

Editted for a forgotten word.

**tneva82**

Pacific wrote:

But you can be absolutely sure that that person is protecting his own ass above all other things.

Oh yes. He's got big anti corona precautions. Which is rather ironic.

**Alpharius**

Future War Cultist wrote:
I can’t believe how often I get a leftist these days on account of the pandemic. It’s very weird.

I thought I was fairly up on UK-speak but I don't know what that means...

**Turnip Jedi**

just out of curiosity does anybody know the cost for tests in the UK ?

hopefully itll get fixed soon, and it very much strikes me as a wholly, nessersary and exclusively (think thats still the term) work related expense you could claim back, as im sure most of the tax refund firms are hoping for, if only we didnt have needlessy clunky tax system (little bit of politics...)

**BobtheInquisitor**

Future War Cultist wrote:
I can’t believe how often I get a leftist these days on account of the pandemic. It’s very weird.

Bolsonaro will probably survive this but considering his age and stuff it’ll likely knock him one for six at least.

Are you missing a word, or is this another Briticism we need explained?

**Future War Cultist**

Alpharius wrote:
Future War Cultist wrote:
I can’t believe how often I get a leftist these days on account of the pandemic. It’s very weird.

I thought I was fairly up on UK-speak but I don't know what that means...

Leftist. Lefty. Left leaning. Left winger.

EDIT: oh wait I see now.

I meant, how often I get called a leftist.

**BobtheInquisitor**

We got the word. The phrase you wrote it into makes less sense.

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

reds8n wrote:

death and taxes

Employees are to pay additional tax for workplace COVID-19 testing
COVID-19 testing will be treated as a 'Benefits In Kind' by the tax office.

Health and social care workers could face a large tax bill.
New guidance from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) could see frontline health and social care workers pay additional tax for COVID-19 testing.

According to the new guidance, COVID-19 testing undertaken at the expense of an employer is to be treated as a “benefit in kind”, so will be subject to extra income tax for employees.

The guidance states; “Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing kits or tests carried out by a third party which have been purchased by you to provide to your employees are treated as a taxable benefit in kind on the employee.”

Treasury Committee Chairman Mel Stride has warned that for some employees, like health and social care workers, who require regular testing the tax bill could quickly mount up.

“Many employees, especially healthcare and hospitality workers, are required to undergo regular coronavirus testing,” said Mr Stride.

He said the new guidance from HMRC “is unclear and will worry a large number of workers”.

“Many of our key workers could be faced with the perverse incentive of avoiding employer-sponsored tests in order to reduce their tax bill,” he added.

According to the Citizens Advice Beaureu, Benefits in kind are benefits which employees or directors receive from their employment but which are not included in their salary cheque or wages – like a company car or mobile phone.

When questioned on the guidance earlier today, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he will look into the issue “very quickly”.

farcical.

that is insane (and on the wages of an NHS nurse let alone a cleaner or care home worker is going to be really damaging

they'd better adjust it (and back date the adjustment) sharpish

**Turnip Jedi**

Alpharius wrote:
Future War Cultist wrote:
I can’t believe how often I get a leftist these days on account of the pandemic. It’s very weird.

I thought I was fairly up on UK-speak but I don't know what that means...

I suspect its a dig at how much like pondside 3rd party medical firms operate on frankly comical mark ups such as charging daft amounts for stuff, which the person doing the test wont see any of, and as ever the expense is landed on those at the low end, but expressing doubt in the fairness of such things will get you labelled as a pinko guardian reading softie if that strays into no-no re politics please delete

**Lord of Deeds**

Turnip Jedi wrote:
just out of curiosity does anybody know the cost for tests in the UK ?

hopefully itll get fixed soon, and it very much strikes me as a wholly, nessersary and exclusively (think thats still the term) work related expense you could claim back, as im sure most of the tax refund firms are hoping for, if only we didnt have needlessy clunky tax system (little bit of politics...)

My sympathies to the UK crowd. That seems to be a messed up line of thinking by the tax man. From my prespective, not a benefit per se, but a requirement for work to meet to HSE requirements. In the US, already considered sales tax exempt and tax deductible for buisensses.

As for cost, I can share antedotal evidence of what the retail cost is in the US

PCR - $154 - $300 (My company typically pays $225)
Antigen - $165 - $250
Rapid Anitbody - $65

**Crispy78**

BUPA charges £65

https://www.bupa.co.uk/health/payg/covid-testing

**Not Online!!!**

Future War Cultist wrote:
Alpharius wrote:
Future War Cultist wrote:
I can’t believe how often I get a leftist these days on account of the pandemic. It’s very weird.

I thought I was fairly up on UK-speak but I don't know what that means...

Leftist. Lefty. Left leaning. Left winger.

EDIT: oh wait I see now.

I meant, how often I get called a leftist.

HA, welcome to the internet and polarised society:
You accordingly (to some) talk to a conservative fascitoid anarchist with socialist tendencies....

Probably half the persons calling you any of that have jack idea about what the respecitve doctrine encompasses, and even less what the ideology actually means. Not to mention basic discussion manners.

I personally blame social media...

**Future War Cultist**

Apologies. It’s been a very long day with little food.

**Overread**

And here I am thinking a leftie was a left-handed-person.

**Kilkrazy**

That's kind of ghoulish, and sad, and untlmately stupid.

If we kill off the crabs, we won't be able to purify vaccines, as well as destroying other parts of the ecosystem.

**Not Online!!!**

Kilkrazy wrote:
That's kind of ghoulish, and sad, and untlmately stupid.

If we kill off the crabs, we won't be able to purify vaccines, as well as destroying other parts of the ecosystem.

he, maybee that cloning tech comes in handy now?

**Matt Swain**

Kilkrazy wrote:
That's kind of ghoulish, and sad, and untlmately stupid.

If we kill off the crabs, we won't be able to purify vaccines, as well as destroying other parts of the ecosystem.

You mean horseshoe crabs? I've heard they can be useful for making some vaccines.

It's estimated the HSC has survived more or less in its current form for some 350 million years. It survived thru the time of the dinosaurs and survived the dinosaur killer asteroid strike. It would be a testament to human nature if we killed off the HSC after it survived all that for so long...

Trivia: The 'rattle" sound the predator makes in the movies is based on the sound of a HSC.

**GoatboyBeta**

Just like bugs I'm willing to accept that Crustaceans are important from an ecological stand point. But damn they freak me out, the HSC in particular always gives me the hibijibis. That picture is some serious nightmare fuel to me.

**tneva82**

So us broke 60k daily case record. And trump still worried about november goes nuts over harvard doing courses via net due to virus.

**Kilkrazy**

Things are going to get worse before they get better.

Here in the UK, both Oxford and Cambridge unversities sent students home in March, and have decided to do teaching by remote next year.

**queen_annes_revenge**

If I was a potential oxbridge student I would be seriously considering whether I still wanted to attend. especially considering both of their behaviour as of late, and as far as I'm aware, they aren't dropping fees to reflect the online only curriculum.

**ScarletRose**

queen_annes_revenge wrote:
If I was a potential oxbridge student I would be seriously considering whether I still wanted to attend. especially considering both of their behaviour as of late

I'm guessing this is a veiled form of the same political swipe that happens here in the US when it comes to complaining about higher education, but can someone from the UK confirm?

**queen_annes_revenge**

oxford have removed books like 'the great gatsby' from their curriculum due to their 'content'. You'll have to research cambridge yourself as its not suitable for here.

this is not how the countries premier higher education establishment is supposed to act, so unless I was planning to study maths or science, I would be reconsidering whether it was worth it.

but this is already off topic for this thread so...

**ScarletRose**

Ah so the usual anti-university stuff then. I guess things aren't so different across the pond.

Thanks for clarifying.

**queen_annes_revenge**

Yup, but that's not a valid counter argument by the way...