Many of us, however, are daunted by the prospect of working out what we can claim against tax, and suspect that accountants have privileged knowledge in this area. “Some people get confused about whether they have to calculate their own tax themselves,” says Lynn Simpson of the Inland Revenue. “Self-assessment is actually filling in the tax return – it doesn’t mean filling in the calculation yourself.”What do you need to do if you’re self-employed? The most important thing is to keep good records throughout the year. When Mary Anderson started her chiropody business 17 years ago, she decided to employ an accountant.
She quickly became disillusioned: “I thought having an accountant should allow you to ask questions and to get some help, but he never returned my calls.”
After a couple of months, she called him and said: “Give me back my documents and I’ll do it myself.” She has managed her own tax affairs ever since.
Although not everyone is as unlucky with their accountant as Ms Anderson, there is no reason why, if you’re self-employed and your business is uncomplicated, you need one at all.And, contrary to what we’ve been led to believe, self-assessment is going to make it easier to fill out your tax return, not harder. No check-in queue, only 50 people on the 353-seat plane and the chance to stretch out across four central seats.”I call it the connoisseurs’ airline,” said Sir Freddie. “I sincerely believe we have the best service on the Atlantic now”. Drinks were free and topped up regularly before the first meal.In contrast to my one-hour queue to check in at for an almost-full flight, my London- return could not have been more comfortable. On his -London DC-10s, Sir Freddie has added a business class, with plush roomy seating. Even in economy, all seats are leather, each has a TV screen, food is served on china and, on my flights, was superior to that of American Airlines. “And with European airfares so high, we’ll pick up traffic from there, too,” Sir Freddie said.Anyone who flew Skytrain will hardly recognise the new service.
People want to have a good kip,” said Sir Freddie, who lives on a yacht in the Bahamas and runs a tour service and a separate airline, Laker Airways (Bahamas) Limited, which links Freeport with several American cities.Laker Airways (Inc) hopes to use , as does American Airlines, as a stepping stone to Latin America and the Caribbean. On the other hand, the movie Independence Day, on a London- flight that ran into major turbulence and was tossed up and down for half an hour, was not an ideal choice.”The in-flight entertainment has solved the problem of young kids You don’t see them crawling all over. Sir Freddie blamed other airlines for ganging up on him by slashing their fares.”The government just didn’t want Freddie Laker to fly again,” he said in a Desert Island Discs-type interview broadcast on the in-flight entertainment radio between music tracks selected by himself.The entertainment service is a big plus of the new airline, with 15 channels of up-to-date movies, British TV comedy shows, cartoons and radio music shows available throughout the flight. Ninety-eight per cent of pilots, flight attendants and other staff are American.Passengers, though, remain largely British, either holidaymakers headed for Florida or US-based Brits returning to visit family. Sir Freddie believes many are previous Skytrain customers, or their sons and daughters, who sympathise with the old airline which collapsed after a fare war in 1982. He claims a load factor of over 70 per cent and hopes to be in profit this year.Initial flights were from Orlando or Fort Lauderdale but the airline recently added daily flights between and Gatwick.The name and livery leave no doubt as to who’s in charge but, as a US- based operation, he holds only 49 per cent of the airline, with his American partner, Houston oil magnate Oscar Wyatt, holding the nominal majority.
If there’s anything we can do to make your flight more enjoyable, please do not hesitate to contact any one of us,” he said before handing over to a posher voice for the emergency regulations.Well, you could shorten your check-in queues at the end for a start, Sir Fred, and your economy seats are a wee bit cramped. But overall, as an American Airlines frequent flyer, I have to say your -London- service outshone your American rival in virtually every department.A decade and a half after his no-frills, bring-your-own grub Skytrain service between the UK and the US went out of business, Sir Freddie claims “fantastic” success for its American reincarnation, Laker Airways (Inc.), which began flying between Florida and the UK last July. Miami
Last call: flight 6F 613, Gatwick to
It’s not the Skytrain Too many frills It’s no longer even British. But Laker Airways is very much back in business, this time with an American accent. There was nothing American about the accent of the man himself as he welcomed me from a six-inch screen on the back of the seat in front while we soared over Beach “Hello, I’m Freddie Laker. A return ticket costs around pounds 35.Accommodation: In Feldkirch Lynn ten Kate stayed at the Alpenrose Hotel where bed and breakfast costs pounds 40 single/pounds 60 double.More information: Austrian National Tourist Office, 30 St George Street, London W1R 0AL (0171-629 0461); e-mail: oewlon easynet.co.uk.
From Zurich airport, you take one of the frequent trains to the city’s main station, then change for the Innsbruck train which stops at Feldkirch. There is a captivating folk museum where the decorated wooden beds are short, to ensure the occupants slept sitting up so the devil couldn’t steal their soul, and a church which the 16-year-old Angelica Kauffman, who was born locally, helped her father to paintnFeldkirch factsGetting there: Lynn ten Kate paid pounds 109 return (including tax) for a Heathrow- Zurich flight on Swissair, through Major Travel (0171-485 7017). Within an hour going north you can be sailing on Lake Constance, taking in the picturesque German island of Lindau or exploring the old city of Breganz with its opera performances on the world’s biggest floating stage – brilliant when staging the Flying Dutchman but a bit disconcerting when Carmen makes her entrance from the cigarette factory by boat. The restaurant in Schattenburg castle which towers above the town is renowned for its dishes, including the largest Wiener schnitzel in the Alps.
