Whay can't self employed get the bike to work scheme?

vicwatson

:mad::mad:

Load of tripe, why can only paye workers get access to this tax relief ?

Scandalous.

dr.bollocko

Moved from after hours.

vicwatson

It's a rant Dr :)

I know they can't for a fact, I wanted to guage peoples opinions on the fact, hence I figured AH the place for those opinions? Thanks

opinion guy

Cause selfemployed get enough tax breaks already maybe?

The poor PAYE worker has been hammared enough in recent times - let them have this one sure ?

vicwatson

Cause selfemployed get enough tax breaks already maybe?

Such as ?

Why can both access the relief?

dr.bollocko - see this has already turned into a self-employed v paye worker which was not the intention, it was to ask why can only paye workers get access to this tax relief scheme and to get opions on that, NOT self employed/paye bashing

IMO it has nothing to do with work and jobs, rather perhaps taxation? or as I initially posted AH.

DWCommuter

opinion guy wrote: »

Cause selfemployed get enough tax breaks already maybe?

Not really true.

While the self employed can fiddle the books and avoid paying a proportion of tax, they are, for example, barred from paying a PRSI contribution that provides automatic Social Welfare assistance if the business goes tits up. A legitimate self employed person playing fair has more obstacles than benefits in front of them. Don't confuse multi millionaire business people colluding with the state, with the average everyday self employed person.

vicwatson

they are, for example, barred from paying a PRSI contribution that provides automatic Social Welfare assistance if the business goes tits up. A legitimate self employed person playing fair has more obstacles than benefits in front of them. Don't confuse multi millionaire business people colluding with the state, with the average everyday self employed person

+1

Not all self employed can "fiddle the books" as you put it . What about partnerships, in a firm, in a company that are a "cashless" business and have to make y/e accounts? There is no fiddling of books there.

I am sure more than not self employed would be more than willing to pay the higher rate of PRSI in order to access solcial welfare in the situation whereby their business goes bust.

ANYHOW, I still don't get why they cannot extend this minor tax relief to self employed.

DWCommuter

vicwatson wrote: »

ANYHOW, I still don't get why they cannot extend this minor tax relief to self employed.

Probably because this country has always relied on others to do the employing. If you have a good Americayyy accent and **** loads of dollars, you are the man. But if you are an ordinary Irish person, with no money and a great idea and business model, you may as well emigrate and come back with the right accent.

Pure and simple.

srsly78

Erm what? You can be self-employed and PAYE you know? Directors are mostly PAYE.

You can pay yourself a small PAYE wage, and then a big bonus at end of year with self-assessed tax. Problem solved.

BTW to the uninformed people in the thread: Directors pay MORE paye tax than normal employees. We have a much smaller tax-free allowance. Fire up the 2011 excel payroll spreadsheet, enter a salary, change status between normal and director, see how the take home pay changes.

vicwatson

Erm what? You can be self-employed and PAYE you know? Directors are mostly PAYE.

You can pay yourself a small PAYE wage, and then a big bonus at end of year with self-assessed tax. Problem solved.

Partnerships can't unfortunately

srsly78

Pretty sure they can: http://www.revenue.ie/en/business/paye/guide/employers-guide-paye-registration.html

shoegirl

I think there is a way around it but for those who believe the propoganda that self employed pay less tax, we also often pay VAT, have lower tax allowances, and the "relief" you get on expenses ignores the fact that they come out of your profit, which means you don't really get tax relief, you get a small discount on something that if you were employed would be free to the employee.

In fairness companies are not obliged to participate either so you could just as well an employee whose employer refuses to participate.

srsly78

In fairness Shoegirl, unvouched subsistence allowances are pretty sweet Possibly because we can avail of civil servant rates!

JohnK

Thought the civil servants had to stop the unvouched bit for 2010?

srsly78

Here is the relevant section on the revenue website: http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/leaflets/it54.html#appendix1

I see nothing about a change of rules? Rates were reduced in 2009, but they still apply from what I can see. Maybe civil servants can't use the unvouched allowance, but us self-employed people can? It saves me loads of hassle with paperwork, otherwise would have to keep receipts for everything ugh.

JohnK

Ah ok, thats handy so. I must have gotten confused with, I think, this http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=6207 talking about changes for the Oireachtas

CiaranC

vicwatson wrote: »

+1

Not all self employed can "fiddle the books" as you put it

They can, and more to the point they should. Noone else is going to help them out.