Universal Household Charge

petroltimer

The political elite seem to love that word "universal" as in we're all in this together, so we had the universal social charge(real name Bank Tax) and now the universal household charge(real name Pat Kenny Tax)

later12

I actually think universal is an appropriate term - it underlines the fact that this is not a progressive tax but one applied to all citizens regardless of their ability to pay in the first instance. Within the tax, there may be proportional grades, but it is still a universal tax and such certainly be recorded as such.

Some people would obvuiously prefer it to be called the SCAM TAX SHOCKER or the PURGES but thankfully we do not frame our tax system with tabloid language.

_Cato_

Von Mises wept.

Cookie_Monster

it won't be universal at all though, the usual suspect will escape paying it, just like the do everything else, the old and the "poor and downtrodden", who since they don't actually pay for anything are probably better off these days than most others...

later12

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

it won't be universal at all though, the usual suspect will escape paying it

I presume, like the TV license, those who have trouble paying will have a phased payment plan. If there is any reason to believe that the less well off will be free from this charge please post it.

petroltimer

But if this is enforced on every household regardless of weather they have a TV or not is unjust, I actually know a of one religious family and a few hippy families who genuinely have never had TV or the internet and now they will have to pay as well!

What the government should be doing is recognizing that by the end of the current government every household will get their signal through digital so put RTE on a subscription like every other channel available to Irish people. If you want RTE pay for it, if you don't then you should not have to pay.

later12

petroltimer wrote: »

But if this is enforced on every household regardless of weather they have a TV or not is unjust, I actually know a of one religious family and a few hippy families who genuinely have never had TV or the internet and now they will have to pay as well!

What the government should be doing is recognizing that by the end of the current government every household will get their signal through digital so put RTE on a subscription like every other channel available to Irish people. If you want RTE pay for it, if you don't then you should not have to pay.

I've never owned my own car when I was an employee in Ireland, yet I didn't get an income tax reduction for that abstinence, nor for not using the museums, the universities, the public sector schools nor attending the Saint Patrick's day parade!

The point, presumably, is that if the state must provide for communications and television stations, then that should be paid for like other provisions.

_Cato_

later10 wrote: »

The point, presumably, is that if the state must provide for communications and television stations, then that should be paid for like other provisions.

But the state doesn't have to provide for these things? private enterprise is doing a pretty good job.

twinQuins

later10 wrote: »

I've never owned my own car when I was an employee in Ireland, yet I didn't get an income tax reduction for that abstinence, nor for not using the museums, the universities, the public sector schools nor attending the Saint Patrick's day parade!

I'd wager you didn't pay motor tax, though.

petroltimer

later10 wrote: »

I've never owned my own car when I was an employee in Ireland, yet I didn't get an income tax reduction for that abstinence, nor for not using the museums, the universities, the public sector schools nor attending the Saint Patrick's day parade!

The point, presumably, is that if the state must provide for communications and television stations, then that should be paid for like other provisions.

You never owned a car so you never paid road tax, I've never owned a dog or a fishing rod so i never had to get a licence for that.

Maybe the next step for the government is for a universal dog charge and universal anglers charge, actually make more since as a lot more unlicensed dogs and fishing rods than TV's

_Cato_

petroltimer wrote: »

You never owned a car so you never paid road tax, I've never owned a dog or a fishing rod so i never had to get a licence for that.

Maybe the next step for the government is for a universal dog charge and universal anglers charge, actually make more since as a lot more unlicensed dogs and fishing rods than TV's

No, you're wrong. I think the last thing government can do now is to enforce an oxygen licence. We all need oxygen. Makes sense.... :pac:

ei.sdraob

_Cato_ wrote: »

No, you're wrong. I think the last thing government can do now is to enforce an oxygen licence. We all need oxygen. Makes sense.... :pac:

Well they already have carbon taxes, an oxygen tax is not a big leap from there