A little old lady was having great difficulty making ends meet, and unless a modest windfall was going to be forthcoming pdq, then even Christmas Dinner was going to be limited to baked beans on toast.
After giving the matter a great deal of thought, begging not really being her style, she decided to write a letter to Santa, pouring her heart out, telling him her woes, and intimating that a gift of a hundred quid would go a long way towards lifting her dismal spirits, and would be most welcome.
After sealing the envelope, it struck her that she didn't know Santa's address, and for some strange reason she sent it care of the Inland Revenue.
The letter did the rounds of all the staff in the small local tax office, and they spontaneously decided to have a whip round. At the end of the day, the money in the hat came to a respectable £78, which was duly sent to the old lady, along with a "with compliments" slip signed by the office manager.
She was overjoyed and immediately wrote Santa a letter thanking him profusely for his generous gift. Before sending it off, again c/o the IR, she added a rider saying that if ever again he should be minded to send a bit of money to help her out, would he kindly send it directly, and not via the tax office, as the rotten bastards had gone and deducted £22 income tax.