Last year, I received an unexpected cheque from the taxman. The reason? I had successfully paid off the last of my student loan and as a result I had overpaid on my tax return. (UK students’ tuition fees are deducted at source alongside their taxes if they are salaried employees, or when they fill out their tax returns if they are self-employed.) I thought long and hard about what a milestone this was, my good fortune in being able to do this while still doing a job I love and how I could best use this windfall to invest in my future, before going out and buying a PlayStation 5.
去年,我意外地从税务官那里收到了一张支票。为什么?因为我之前成功地还掉了最后一笔学生贷款,结果导致我在报税时缴纳的税金比我实际应缴的多了一些。(在英国,如果是受薪雇员,学生贷款还款会在发工资时从应税收入中扣除,如果是自雇者,则会在报税时扣除。)