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This website has a modest new service that began as nothing more than a mess-around. I was at a rare (ahem!) loose end in the office, so I thought I’d have a play with Paper.li, a tool/gewgaw that turns a Twitter stream into an online newspaper of sorts. (The finished result is more like a newssheet or a really, really long front page.)
Paper.li – designed in Sweden and free to register – uses semantic text analysis tools (it says here) to sort tweets into topic areas, pull out content and rank it for ‘probable pertinence’ before slapping it on to a digital page with a sprinkling of ads.
An example of the end smart product is the Taxation Tweets Roundup, a weekly, er, roundup of, ah, tweets with an emphasis on, um, tax (and business). It updates weekly, on a Tuesday morning, and it features the thoughts and opinions of big companies, small practitioners and organisations connected to the industry.
If you follow Taxation on Twitter, you’ll be notified as soon as a new page is published. If you’re lucky, we might add you to our list of selected commentators.
It’s a tad under-populated at the moment (which is why it’s still as much of a toy for yours truly as it is an offering to your fine selves) – but as time passes, it’ll hopefully become more populated, better targeted and therefore an increasingly useful read for every Twitter user in the tax industry who can’t find the time to keep a regular eye on his or her stream. We pick the tweets so that you don’t have to.
For that same reason, I present a small assemblage of entertaining remarks by tweeters who won’t ever feature in Taxation’s roundup – because they’re punters, not pros – but who shouldn’t be ignored at this time of year. Not surprisingly, tax is on the minds – and at the finger tips – of many UK micro-bloggers as the 31 January deadline for online self assessment slowly but unstoppably approaches, like Omar Sharif riding out of the horizon in Lawrence of Arabia.
The following remarks tell a number of familiar stories, and all are reproduced exactly as they were originally posted.
Just completed online tax return, have overpaid by 5 pence - heartwarming feeling that I am helping solve the government deficit
@sandywalkington
About to disprove the slogan "tax doesn't have to be taxing"... Now where are all those things I put in a safe place in may 2009
@marklangdon
am doing my interleaving of work & bread making...tax calculations for someone today lets hope i don't muddle my different doughs up *groan*
@goodshoeday
Back to the tax return. Apologies in advance for any shouting, screaming, swearing and throwing stuff.
@hmhunt
Me: "You must be run off your feet this time of year." Girl in HMRC Tax Helpline call centre: "Ohh, it's enough to drive you to drink."
@BigglesZX
HMRC site is temperamental , it won't let me in. Only want to put 0 in all my boxes.
@LittleSpottyHen
I've just been introduced to a little thing called 'emergency tax'. I can tell you now that we are definitely not going to be friends.
@LaurenAthena
right. focus. tax return.
@imagescotland
@poppyscotland competition poems read (I cried). Tax done (I cried). Time for Brighton Rock starring Sam Riley. Fingers crossed, no crying.
@JaniceForsyth
Had a call from HMRC for the first time - Scary!!!
@mrsinghssauce
Just paid my tax bill. Woe.
@paul_mcintyre
Two bills from HMRC today, both demanding I pay different amounts. I wanted to spend all day on hold tho, so it's cool. STAB. STAB. STAB.
@PoppyD
I spoke to a lovely lady from HMRC today, its always lovley when someone tells you to put a bill in the bin though!
@CandyHandfuls
Been on the phone to HMRC for 40 minutes, great phone call and really productive - ive listened to every song on their waiting album list
@mattadams86
I haven't seen a single "Tax doesn't have to be taxing" ad this year (thankfully). Are HMRC cutting back on marketing?
@MikeOrmond
Finally got my National Insurance Super Special Agent number.
@darylsudden
I swear I'm paying too much tax.
@platten87
crikey tax and national insurance rules for self employed foster carers are complicated! Tried 2 make sense of it all 2nyt ... No such luck!
@dallymad
Great to no longer feel pang of guilt when I drive past Moira's face on billboards warning of 31 Jan tax return deadline. Filed mine last wk
@stevelivingston
Don't be harsh about Coulson's use of "giving 110%" in his statement. The extra 10% is due to the VAT rise and inflation.
@davidschneider
