Public school

But all of them certainly rank higher than many solicitors in the ranks of respect.
Most people rank solicitors lower than estate agents, used car salesmen etc.

Gabriella - just one question

If faced with an enemy who is about to kill you would you rather have

a shopkeeper
a call centre handler
a KFC worker

or a trained soldier in between you and the enemy?

I admit a paramedic would be useful under those circumstances, full respect to them too.

Jalima many people rank solicitors lower than sewer rats

Uncalled for janipat.

kittylester why uncalled for? I'm confused. Are you a solicitor? If so are you thinking it was directed at you? I don't know you so it certainly wasn't. If you'd had a family member ripped off by a solicitor like I have, you might view them ( well that one in particular) as lower than a sewer rat too.

I don't care hw you rank people I do care that these days many families need child care and pay a lot for it. That they also contribute towards the care of other's children who have not only an education, but are fed and housed in term time at the tax payers expense is completely unfair. And it seems some of the charitable status benefits these people as well. If they leave the forces the school will try to help financially so the child can stay. Not quite the charitable aim of providing for poor people. As for people working away from family many now do so.

Janipat, I too was cheated out of much of a legacy by a solicitor. When the firm of solicitors found out they reimbursed me and apologised, explaining that the criminal had been sacked.

Most people are honest. Unless this were so there would be no society for us to enjoy.

One shouldn't damn a whole profession because of one bad apple. Would you, for example, damn all mothers because one was dreadful? Far more people are cheated out of far more money by their relatives than anyone else.

Janipat , you clearly had a horrible experience and no recompense and I understand why you feel bitter, more than bitter, about the criminal who cheated you but, damning all solicitors because one was a crook?

I'd like to apologise for my last posts on this thread. I'd consumed more than a sensible amount of wine before posting, and while I may feel justified in feeling aggrieved by the last two solicitors my family or I have dealt with, it no way justified my abhorrent post. Apologies to all.

Janipat, we could get together with a bottle of Merlot and have a good grumble together

janipat a bad experience like that could make you lose faith in them all.

janipat ?

I didn’t think you payed income tax at all when you were abroad on active duty ?

Well, I've never heard that one before, amongst all the stories that do the rounds

I can assure you that it is absolutely the case Jalima and not a "story doing the rounds" . They pay zero income tax whilst on active duty.

Is it too late to put in a claim for a refund of tax from over 40 years ago?

It is absolutely a new one on me gillybob.

I don't know when this was introduced Jalima but my DD's pig of an ex certainly enjoyed the benefits.

I must be out of touch.
Too late for a rebate now anyway

For clarity:
Armed forces employment income

Your residence status does not affect the taxation position of your income from your employment by the British Crown – your earned income from your employment by the armed forces. As a member of the armed forces, you are a Crown servant and you will always be taxed in the UK in full on your Crown employment income whether or not the duties of the employment are carried out in the UK or overseas.

So, if you work abroad (are posted overseas) as a member of the armed forces, you pay UK income tax on your earnings from your job. This rule applies regardless of your actual residence status for tax purposes; it does not matter for how long you are working abroad, in which country you are working or how settled you are.
www.litrg.org.uk/tax-guides/armed-forces/residence-and-domicile-issues/residence-and-domicile-armed-forces#toc-what-are-the-rules-for-residence-and-domicile-for-the-armed-forces-

Well, I thought so too grannyactivist, have never heard anything otherwise.

Are you sure he wasn't spinning a yarn, gillybob?

Just had a re-think and I imagine the pig of an ex is referring to the Operational Allowance.

The Operational Allowance is paid to Service personnel engaged in the most demanding of conflicts and who are deployed on agreed operations. This is a tax free lump sum payable at the end of a tour. It was increased in 2010 - too late for my son-in-law who had already been killed on active service before the new rate was implemented. The amount is £5,280.88 tax-free.

The pig of an ex always bragged about the fact that he paid no income tax when he was on active duty..... He did Iraq, Afghanistan etc several times. There would be no way he would admit to being "rolling in it" if he wasn't. I might be mistaken and it could have been an "operational allowance" grannyactivist .

That would make sense then gilly. The OA is tax free and because it's paid as a lump sum after service personnel return home the pig of an ex could well have been splashing the cash to impress people.

My daughter (who has remarried another military man) looks on it as a means of paying tradespeople to do all the things her husband would have done if he were there to fix things himself.

@jalima I may be wrong but the independent boarding school choices for officers were different from those of NCOs even though the families were all working abroad? so there was a class division even then?