Plain Language Awards

Celebrate the stories of our clearest business communicators

Finalist: Best Plain English Sentence Transformation 2014

Ros Black, Xero


Name of document

Tax Rates


Original sentence: 82 words

You may set up different tax rates that can be used for all of your sales and all of your expenses, or different rates for sales and expenses or many rates for many different tax amounts to be charged or different types of items you sell or purchase (for example, a tax rate you charge for services sold that is different to a tax rate you charge for goods sold) — this will all depend on your organisation and your tax requirements.


Rewritten sentence: 12 words

You can set up as many tax rates as your organisation needs.


Judges’ comment

A fabulous effort to take 82 words down to 12. The degree of change is satisfyingly startling. The language is clear and easy to follow, and the judges enjoyed seeing the essence emerge from the murk.


Media statement

I’m thrilled to be named as a finalist in the Best Plain English Technical Communicator and Best Plain English Sentence Transformation categories.

I’m a technical writer in Xero’s Help Centre team. We’re passionate about plain English and want to make life easier for thousands of small businesses around the world. We’ve had multiple finalist placings in the Awards over the past few years, and we’re proud that experts continue to recognise our commitment to plain English.

Xero is online accounting software for small businesses.

Ros Black