dear Ross uk, a credible argument but why does the tax year begin on the 5th of april? I just cannot understand the significance of this date, although i understand there must be one! I eagerly await your reply, gregg.
Sorry about the delay in replying Gregg, I don't read this page often. The point is that the tax year does not begin on 5 April, but ends on that date. The reason for this date is that, during the 18th century, the British authorities operated under a practice which considered the year to end on 24 March for accounting purposes (the reason deriving from the fact that ancient practice was to consider the vernal equinox in late March the start of the solar year, the same reason that Aries is considered the first sign of the zodiac). The change to the Gregorian calendar then added a few days, making the year end later. The questions are: how many days, when and in what circumstances? --Ross UK 05:16, 19 December 2005 (UTC)
