UPDATED ONE DAY LATER: The EdTech 09 organisers offered me a media pass in exchange for tweeting and writing about the 10th anniversary of the Irish Learning Technology Association. I'm happy for that generous offset of the attendance fee.
AS I MAKE my way to EdTech 09 in Dublin, I'm feeling the pain of making these connections to industry events because I'm carrying a deficit of unpaid expenses related to these worthwhile professional development sessions. In order to get approval for payment to attend many of these conferences, I'm meant to apply months ahead for clearance. Because I rarely do that, I'm now more than €1000 out of pocket for things I did for my job. If the €195 cost of EdTech 09 also goes unpaid, I'm down and out for 2009 because I cannot afford to pay out of my wages to attend events like these unless I can claim them back another way. Some of my financial stress is caused by an atrophy in national finances. Some is caused by me failing to use a brass neck when walking boldly into conference venues. I've taken advice from the Irish Revenue Commissioners and will start my sole trader status alongside my PAYE status. Taken together, I may get some of the tax back that I pay this year.
It's a long day trip for me when running 94 miles up to Dublin so I'm taking notes and using my blog as a taxman's journal of professional expenses incurred as a function of paid employment.
Sent mail2blog using Nokia E90 O2-Typepad service in Abbeyleix, County Laois, Ireland.
