Tax form

[Alma]

My friend is filling in her first tax form and I don't know the answer to her question.

She lives here with her children, seperated from her husband who still lives in U.K. He gives her an allowance each week which she draws from an account in England.
Tax office has sent a letter asking for details of how much she has had to live on. Surely this is none of their business as it is her husband who is paying his tax in U.K. Can she tell them (politely of course) to mind their own business?

[Will]

As all is above board I think she'd do best to be perfectly open and honest with the tax authorities. Unless she's getting a big allowance it's unlikely she'll be taxed on it.

If she says nothing about it there's a danger that it will be assumed she's doing black market work or evading taxation in some other way, which may mean being investigated by the gendarmes - this is very unpleasant.

Will (50)