TV License - what to do to stop paying?

CiniO · 14-03-2018 08:01PM #1

We have a valid TV licence until end of May, and will be moving abroad in August.

I have no intention on spending €160 again on something we don't use at all, and I wonder what are the options on not renewing...

Firstly, I understand I'll have to unmount my TV from the wall, and take it away. Question is - does it have to be removed out of the house, or is it enough to put it boxed in the attic?

Secondly, there is a satellite dish on the house - does having satellite dish on it's own warrant requirement for TV licence even if there's no TV in the house?

Thirdly - I have a PC with 27" monitor, which monitor has HDMI input, so can be used to plug in DVD/Blu ray Player, or satellite tuner (it's a foreign satellite subscription and doesn't include Irish channels if in case someone is wondering). Does that warrant a requirement for TV licence and if so - why?

I suppose (assuming answer to all above questions is NO), once licence expires I can just send letter to them informing I don't have TV anymore and just not renew.
And obviously patiently waiting for TV licence inspector for a visit.

Obviously I'm not looking here for legal advice, but for open discussion around TV licence laws.

wally1990 · 14-03-2018 08:25PM

Rules state:

If your household, business or institution possesses a television or equipment capable of receiving a television signal, you are required by law to have a television licence.

Even if the television or other equipment is broken and currently unable to receive a signal, it is regarded as capable of being repaired so it can receive a signal and you must hold a licence for it.

Failure to produce evidence of a television licence to an inspector can result in a court appearance and on conviction, you can receive a substantial fine.

People who have been fined and who have breached court orders directing them to pay their television licence can be imprisoned.

You do not require a television licence to watch television on your computer or mobile phone. However, the computer must not be able to receive a signal distributed by conventional television broadcasting networks, for example, cable, satellite or aerial.

When a first-time television licence is issued it remains in force until the end of the 11th month following the month in which it was issued. For example, if the licence was issued in the middle of April it will remain in force until the end of March the following year. When you renew it at the end of that period, the new licence remains in force for 12 months.

usernamegoes · 14-03-2018 08:34PM

wally1990 wrote: »

Rules state:

If your household, business or institution possesses a television or equipment capable of receiving a television signal, you are required by law to have a television licence.

The device must be capable of receiving and exhibiting the TV broadcast. Just receiving is not enough i.e. a sky box without a TV does not require a licence.

It doesn't matter if it's broken or in the attic.

Fred Swanson · 14-03-2018 08:39PM

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bizidea · 14-03-2018 08:44PM

The only two things you have to do in this life is be born and die everything else is optional dont think you will be on the fbi s most wanted if you don't pay your contribution towards some over paid presenters extortionate salary wouldnt bother me ass paying it op is what im trying to say

Mod
Against forum rules to recommend non payment of items such as licence fees

selous · 14-03-2018 08:58PM

You could delay buying it, if anything comes of the repeat requests for you to buy it, then you get a registered letter, you may be gone by then or if not, you buy the licence and nothing goes any further, as the licence is backdated to when your last one ended, so effectively you've never been without one.
Or inform them you don't have a tv anymore, I think theres a form you fill in on the renewal or the next letter after.

Skedaddle · 14-03-2018 09:00PM

You could move the TV to another house e.g. a family member's who has a licence.

Once there's a TV with a tuner in it in the house, you're kinda screwed.

I find that advert they're running quite misleading "If you watch box sets, you need a TV licence". You don't if you're watching them without any form of broadcast television reception equipment in your house.

Grassey · 14-03-2018 09:50PM

So can one remove the tuner and effectively have a monitor?

Had the inspector around the last day, showed him my 42" pc monitor on the wall and he was happy out. 'anything with coax in' as he put it is their concern.

Rerto · 18-03-2018 08:21PM

CiniO wrote: »

and will be moving abroad in August.

Aw, are you going back to Poland? The roads will be a sadder place without you

ozmo · 18-03-2018 08:28PM

Don’t you need a tv license if you have a radio?

In the car or an alarm clock? Used be the way anyway...

Rerto · 18-03-2018 08:30PM

ozmo wrote: »

Don’t you need a tv license if you have a radio?

In the car or an alarm clock? Used be the way anyway...

Only if it's in your house as far as I know. You raise a good point though. I wonder would a TV mounted in a limousine parked in the driveway be liable for a license. Would it?

ozmo · 18-03-2018 08:42PM

Rerto wrote: »

Only if it's in your house as far as I know. You raise a good point though. I wonder would a TV mounted in a limousine parked in the driveway be liable for a license. Would it?

Well if you need a second for a holiday home- I can see no reason to not requiring one for the car and a second one for the house... if you go by the strict definitions...

Tv license doesn’t make sense at all to me...

Fred Swanson · 18-03-2018 08:52PM

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Rerto · 18-03-2018 08:54PM

ozmo wrote: »

Well if you need a second for a holiday home- I can see no reason to not requiring one for the car and a second one for the house... if you go by the strict definitions...

Tv license doesn’t make sense at all to me...

But s car isn’t a dwelling. Would a camper van need one? Would a traveller be prosecuted for not having one in their mobile?

Fred Swanson · 18-03-2018 09:00PM

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Rerto · 18-03-2018 09:15PM

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Never knew that! But if a license is required for a television OR a radio, does that mean that the radio in your car stereo is liable for the TV license too? (Going by the rigid definitions). If the car remains parked in your driveway is it not considered part of your property / house for the purpose of licensing and thus covered by the same license as the house?

Oasis1974 · 18-03-2018 09:26PM

So another Law allows TV License inspectors to enter your household to search for a working or broken TV. Load of nonsense would a Kindle require a TV license?

doolox · 18-03-2018 09:28PM

I had a house in Galway where I lived and I put it up for sale. The licence was not renewed and the TV was moved out to my parents house.

I received a letter stating that an aerial connection counted as receiving apparatus under the wireless telegraphy act and needed a licence.

I ripped out the coax and the aerial in the attic rather than pay the bloody licence. I put a blanking plate on the coax socket instead of the original coax connector. All was well when the snotty inspector called. He was not pleased.

Aye Bosun · 18-03-2018 10:18PM

CiniO wrote: »

We have a valid TV licence until end of May, and will be moving abroad in August.

I have no intention on spending €160 again on something we don't use at all, and I wonder what are the options on not renewing

Opt to pay your licence quarterly or monthly until you leave the country.

https://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Personal+Customers/More+from+An+Post/TV+Licence/TV+Licence+Direct+Debit.htm

Mrs OBumble · 18-03-2018 10:52PM

ozmo wrote: »

Don’t you need a tv license if you have a radio?

Eh? Since when did a radio become capable to receiving a TV signal?

selous · 22-03-2018 08:49PM

At the risk of a nose slap by grammar folk....it's Licence....no "s" in it. (It's written on it);)

Dunston · 22-03-2018 09:01PM

Is a license required if you have an android TV box linked up to a projector?

GerardKeating · 22-03-2018 09:46PM

Dunston wrote: »

Is a license required if you have an android TV box linked up to a projector?

Not yet..

ozmo · 23-03-2018 04:00AM

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Eh? Since when did a radio become capable to receiving a TV signal?

‘It’s what I was told - but just looked it now and it seems the requirement to have a tv license for Radio (even if you have no tv) may have been dropped in 1972.
But yeah- it was apparently a thing at one stage.

That’s what I just found on Wikipedia now so it may not be correct either mind...

Peregrinus · 23-03-2018 04:13AM

ozmo wrote: »

‘It’s what I was told - but just looked it now and it seems the requirement to have a tv license for Radio (even if you have no tv) may have been dropped in 1972.
But yeah- it was apparently a thing at one stage.

That’s what I just found on Wikipedia now so it may not be correct either mind...

The system started out early in the 20th century as a "wireless licence". At that time, you needed it only for a radio, as there were no televisions. When televisions were introduced, they fell within the existing "broadcast receiving equipment" definition, so you did need a wireless licence for a TV set. However a single wireless licence would cover you for all the radio and TV sets in the licensed premises. Almost everybody who bought a TV already had a radio, and a wireless licence, and you didn't need a second licence to buy a TV.

In the early 1960s, when RTE was set up, a substantial increase in funding was required to establish the new service. However only a minority of (fairly well-off) houses had TV sets, and it was though unfair that radio listeners should pay for the television service. So the wireless licence was spit into radio licences, which authorised radio sets only, and TV licenses, which authorised both radio and TV sets.

By 1972 television ownership was widespread. Very few people were still taking out radio-only licences. So they dropped the requirement to have a licence for a radio set, and discontinued the issue of radio-only licences.

selous · 23-03-2018 08:32PM

If memory serves me right there were 2 different prices too, one price for Monochrome and another for Colour.

Fred Swanson · 23-03-2018 09:21PM

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Peregrinus · 24-03-2018 02:05AM

selous wrote: »

If memory serves me right there were 2 different prices too, one price for Monochrome and another for Colour.

Yes. Though of course that split wasn't made until RTE introduced a colour broadcasting service which, from memory, was round about 1970.

CiniO · 05-07-2018 09:37PM

Hello everyone. OP here. I quite forgot about this thread.
Thank you everyone for replies.

Licence is expired now.
I got several letters requesting renewal and threatening with possible court summons. Recently they sent me a declaration which I can fill where I can state I don't have television set at my address.
I'm just filling that declaration and intend to post it to TV licence section tomorrow.

TV is removed from my premises, as well as satellite tuner.

What I have left though is my PC with monitor (with HDMI input) - which I use for watching Amazon Prime Video and HBO GO and obviously Youtube, etc...
I also have DVD player connected to it. Amplifier with a radio receiver (radio has it's own small aerial).
Outside the house there's a satellite dish, and it's wired to a socket in a room where all above equipment is.

I'd be grateful for opinions on my setup, especially if I'll be in a clear when TV licence inspector pays me a visit.

Thank you.

Under His Eye · 05-07-2018 10:11PM

Sat dish on it's own does not need a licence, so you are safe there.

Just point all this out when they send someone around.

fritzelly · 05-07-2018 10:43PM

The law relates to a tuner receiving a transmission - whether terrestrial or satellite transmission
Computer (unless you have a tuner card in it), DVD player etc don't have tuners so you are grand
Anything watched online does not require a licence period

TV License - what to do to stop paying?

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