Some people (usually women — sorry ladies, it’s true), when asked their age, will oh-so-hilariously reply “I’m 21… plus VAT!” (this is generally followed by a braying laugh, comparable to the sound made by a donkey in heat, but I digress)
I was curious as to what “21+VAT” actually equates to, and now, thanks to the date functions in Excel, I have the answer:
21 years is 7,670 days (don’t forget to factor in leap years). Taking VAT at its current rate of 17.5%, the “tax” on that amount would be 1,342 days and 6 hours. Add that on to the exact time I turned 21 (5th September 2003 at 2.09pm), and my VAT-birthday is 9th May 2007 at 8.09pm.
…which is now! Happy VAT-birthday to me! 🙂