English speaking lesson · Services & Admin
At the tax office
You've come to the tax office with a question about your tax return. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
A tax office desk · you talk to the tax advisor
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What you have to do
Explain your question, describe your situation, ask about the deadline, and agree what to do next. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.
How it opens
Good morning — what can I help you with today?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the tax advisor.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Ask your question
Say what your question is about.
“Good morning! I have a tax question.”
- 02
Describe your situation
Describe your work or income situation.
“I have one job, and I earn money from that.”
- 03
Ask about the deadline
Ask when the deadline is, or what you'll owe.
“When do I pay, and how much do I pay?”
- 04
Check you've understood
Check you've understood it correctly.
“Yes, that's clear.”
- 05
Agree what to do next
Say what you'll do next, and finish politely.
“Can I do it online? Thanks for explaining!”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the tax advisor.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- tax
- money you pay to the government
- “I have a tax question.”
- question
- something you ask to get information
- “I have a question.”
- pay
- to give money for something
- “How much do I pay?”
- job
- the work you do
- “I have one job.”
- money
- cash or funds you earn
- “I earn money from one job.”
- when
- asking about time
- “When do I pay?”
- form
- an official document you fill in
- “Do I need a form?”
- online
- done through the internet
- “Can I do it online?”
- clear
- easy to understand
- “Yes, that's clear.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks for explaining.”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- return
- the annual form declaring your income
- “It's about my tax return.”
- employed
- working for a company
- “I'm employed full-time.”
- freelance
- working for yourself on projects
- “I do some freelance work too.”
- income
- the money you earn
- “My income is fairly steady.”
- deadline
- the date something must be done by
- “When's the deadline?”
- owe
- to have to pay someone
- “How much would I owe?”
- declare
- to officially report your income
- “Do I declare all of it?”
- submit
- to send in officially
- “Can I submit it online?”
- understood
- grasped the meaning of something
- “Yes, understood, thanks.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for something
- “I appreciate the explanation.”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- allowance
- the amount you can earn tax-free
- “What's the personal allowance?”
- deductible
- able to be subtracted from taxable income
- “Are those costs deductible?”
- expenses
- costs you can claim against income
- “Can I claim expenses?”
- threshold
- a level at which a rule starts to apply
- “What's the threshold for that?”
- liable
- legally required to pay
- “Am I liable for that?”
- instalments
- payments made in parts over time
- “Could I pay in instalments?”
- penalty
- a charge for missing a deadline
- “Is there a late penalty?”
- clarify
- to make something clearer
- “Could you clarify that point?”
- sorted
- arranged and settled
- “That's sorted, thanks.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- paperwork
- the official forms and documents
- “The paperwork is a maze.”
- offset
- to reduce tax by claiming costs
- “Can I offset those costs?”
- shortfall
- an amount less than what's needed
- “Would there be a shortfall?”
- rebate
- money paid back to you
- “Might I be due a rebate?”
- wiggle
- flexibility (informal) — 'wiggle room'
- “Is there any wiggle room?”
- watertight
- with no gaps or weaknesses
- “I want it watertight.”
- flag
- to raise something for attention
- “Anything else I should flag?”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged, thank you.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Great, that's sorted.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, appreciated.”
More Services & Admin lessons
- Opening a bank account
- Customer service call
- Courier claim
- Making an insurance claim
- Registering at the town hall
- Renewing your ID
- Visa appointment