Pre-budget submissions....

galwaytt

..seeing as the dreaded Budget is almost upon us, I have taken my (usual) step of sending in pre-budget submissions to various ministers, on various things. Given that we are all now expert 'keyboard warriors', it's time to put it to (constructive) use.

I am asking people to drop a quick email to the various ministers to try and make some progress. I would ask that you send a separate email on each subject, and to put the subject of your email in the 'subject' box, as follows.......

Keep the emails short. No rants. Make sure to sign it with your full name, address and maybe your phone no. Make your email (Outlook/Thunderbird) get delivery and read receipt.

For motorcycling, I have identified :

1. VAT on ALL motorcycle apparel and helmet needs to be dropped, in keeping with practice in (say, the UK or NI), on the grounds of SAFETY. My work helmet/gloves/gear/boots are VAT exempt, and they're not mandatory - but my bike stuff IS mandatory.
2. Motor Tax on motorcycles is too high. Given that you can now tax a 3-series BMW for €104, then €78 is unjustifiable for (in my case, my Aprilia scooter). I am suggesting a flat, blanket rate, of €30. Furthermore, if you tax the aforementioned 3-series, you are allowed to pay for it per quarter, and the princely sum of €29. But bikes can't. So I want quarterly payments, or 6-monthly option introduced for bikes, as a matter of tax equity/equality.

Please don't roll yer eyes up at it as some daft idea - if you do not make submissions, I can guarantee that they WON'T be listened to !! Email costs nothing, and I'm asking for you to take 10 minutes to do this.

If you root out your local TD's email and cc them, it'd be icing on top, but I'd prefer if people email something rather than nothing.

The email addresses are

minister@finance.gov.ie

minister@transport.ie

minister@environ.ie

Sorry for the late hour, it's been one of those things I'm a bit late on, this year.

If we could get only say........100 emails in, you never know...........:)

John
aka, galwaytt

CJhaughey

Done, Done and Done!

Boskowski

Seriously? You want to pay you 78 quid in quarterly instalments?
In fairness now if they allowed ghat the administrative overhead would eat up a good bit of that. Whatever about other thing but this I find a bit silly

CJhaughey

If a BMW owner can do it for 104 why can't a bike do it for 26 less?

RosieJoe

Boskowski wrote: »

Seriously? You want to pay you 78 quid in quarterly instalments?
In fairness now if they allowed ghat the administrative overhead would eat up a good bit of that. Whatever about other thing but this I find a bit silly

Plus, if you pay be installments it always works out more than the 1 off payment, this I presume is to cover administrative costs.

galwaytt

Boskowski wrote: »

Seriously? You want to pay you 78 quid in quarterly instalments?
In fairness now if they allowed ghat the administrative overhead would eat up a good bit of that. Whatever about other thing but this I find a bit silly

You're not listening: if a 1.5 tonne car can be taxed for €104, there's no justification for charging €78 for a bike that weighs 190kg......

Neither did I say I wanted bikes by the quarter. But at current rates we should have parity of esteem with cars.......6 months would be suitable for a lot of people who only ride in the 'summer'......

Another answer is a lower, flat rate that people would be more likely to comply with in the first place.........

Boskowski

Yes but a bike doesn't have 1/8 of the cars emissions does it, which it is supposedly all about right?
I own a bike myself and I fail to see how €78 seems high or unfair or anything.
Btw those car rates will go up in any case. They're simply not getting enough out of it. The dog on the street knows this is not a good time to be expecting tax reductions in any area of life.

galwaytt

Boskowski wrote: »

Yes but a bike doesn't have 1/8 of the cars emissions does it, which it is supposedly all about right?
I own a bike myself and I fail to see how €78 seems high or unfair or anything.
Btw those car rates will go up in any case. They're simply not getting enough out of it. The dog on the street knows this is not a good time to be expecting tax reductions in any area of life.

I agree, the emissions tax regime is too lenient, and coupled with emissions based VRT, means they're all driving around subsidised by all us on cc-based tax... but even if they put them up, it's unlikely to be by a big amount, which is the problem: the gap between emissions-tax and cc-tax, often on the same vehicle has gotten huge - from a factor of 2 up to a factor of 5 or 6, for some. That's not just. :mad:

And you're right, a bike isn't 1/8th of the emissions. But neither is it just about just emissions: lower infrastructure wear'n'tear, service provision (parking etc), contribution to reducing car traffic volumes all speak to reasons to riding a bike.

I'm not asking anyone to agree with me: I'm asking that people, where they do have feelings on the subject (in whichever way), merely make a contribution. It's no more complicated than that.

CJhaughey

I got a reply from the dept of the environment, transferring my email to the dept of transport!

CJhaughey

Dear Mr ****


The Minister for Finance, Mr Michael Noonan TD, has asked me to acknowledge receipt of your recent email and to say that the contents will be considered in the context of the forthcoming Budget.

Yours sincerely
Sean Kinsella
Private Secretary

rat_race

Dear Mr *******,



I have been asked by Mr.Phil Hogan, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to acknowledge receipt of your recent email, the contents of which have been noted.



Yours sincerely,
***** *******

Done.