Tax on texting

Sizzler · 04-03-2009 09:45AM #1

Deputy Mary White from The Green Party last night came out and suggested a 1c tax on each text you send. She proudly stood up and said this would reel in a not to be sneezed at €1.4 BILLION. Lenihan was rubbing his hands with glee.

Cue Mary White going on Newstalk this morning where they crunched the numbers for her live on air, she was "slightly" off the mark.

Last year the industry said on average there were 25 million texts sent a day, which would raise €91 million, not bad money but slightly less than the €1.4 billion she seems to have plucked out of thin air :rolleyes:

How do you feel about the 1c tax on texting? Is it worth it for €91 million? The govt would probably spend it on helicopter rides and junkets in no time anyway.

togster · 04-03-2009 09:48AM

I suggest a tax on recession threads tbh

MagicMarker · 04-03-2009 09:53AM

It's a good idea actually.

I don't send texts though.

We should add an extra few euro onto smokes.

spadder · 04-03-2009 09:53AM

Not a bad idea, I also propose a €10 tax on saying "ohmyGawd"

shanethemofo · 04-03-2009 09:54AM

Great idea if they promise to put the money back into improving communication infrastructure imho.
Use the money to take out cases against all major bband suppliers *Cough Eircom Cough* for shocking service.

Sizzler · 04-03-2009 09:55AM

togster wrote: »

I suggest a tax on recession threads tbh

You were the first to mention the recession in this thread, take a bow.

TheZohanS · 04-03-2009 09:56AM

MagicMarker wrote: »

It's a good idea actually.

I don't send texts though.

We should add an extra few euro onto smokes.

Why not stop there, put an extra tenner on a pint and and extra fiver on bus journeys, and put 3c on emails.

MagicMarker · 04-03-2009 09:58AM

TheZohan wrote: »

Why not stop there, put an extra tenner on a pint and and extra fiver on bus journeys, and put 3c on emails.

Well, I don't really drink, I have a car, and I rarely send emails.

Good shtuff zohan.

Topmail · 04-03-2009 10:00AM

Very good idea,why not 2c per text and a property tax on all second home owners

Big Wave · 04-03-2009 10:10AM

* Put €10 on wearing pyjamas outside the house.
* €30 tax on every pack of cigarettes.
* €20 tax on failing to signal properly on a roundabout.
* €20 stupidity tax on putting “L” plates up the wrong way around (backwards, sideways, on the bonnet, etc)
* €10 tax on saying "pacific" as a mispronunciation of "specific"
* €40 tax on blowing a whistle in a nightclub.

BaconZombie · 04-03-2009 10:10AM

I suggest a tax on stupid not researched ideas from politicians......

Boskowski · 04-03-2009 10:12AM

I suggest we rather have a coup d'etat, fk all the useless idiots out of town and then reorganize the country. Like do away with all the stupid consultants with government contracts, feck the quangos out the door, let the banks go against the wall and in general look after the interest of the people for a change as opposed to look after the people who pay the best bribes.

That would raise serious moneys.

cogITere · 04-03-2009 10:12AM

Heard this news early this morning, The Deputy was ever so PROUD of this idea and the money it will bring into the government purse.

Was unaware of the miscalculation until the opening post, but I would reckon that even using last years SMS numbers would be an error, as I know for sure that I and assume many more would restrict their use of SMS out of principle if a tax was attached.
We are already paying tax, namely VAT, on all mobile phone bills, which includes text messaging.

I just hope that the folks who elected this Deputy remember this foolishness in the next election and leave her free to foin the growing dole queue.

Mr E · 04-03-2009 10:16AM

I send 99% of my texts from my desktop, so tax away, Mary.
Knock your green little socks off.

hobochris · 04-03-2009 10:19AM

this is a very good idea, I don't mind paying an extra couple of cents per text message... If it helps get the country out of this mess.

TheZohan wrote: »

put 3c on emails.

It wouldn't work, the nature of email and how send and receiving email works means it would be impossible to implement, sure you could get isp's to tax any traffic on port 25 etc.. but people will just use another port.

Gone Drinking · 04-03-2009 10:20AM

Mr E wrote: »

I send 99% of my texts from my desktop, so tax away, Mary.
Knock your green little socks off.

Cool for you, but some of the rest of us like going outside!

Dord · 04-03-2009 10:22AM

We already pay tax on text messages. Stupid bloody government!

Topmail · 04-03-2009 10:22AM

Put a tax on all cats!!!!:D

Dord · 04-03-2009 10:24AM

What about a lolcat tax?

Padraig Mor · 04-03-2009 10:26AM

cogITere wrote: »

Heard this news early this morning, The Deputy was ever so PROUD of this idea and the money it will bring into the government purse..

Remember this is the daft bint who suggested introducing a special "driving licence for grannies"!

starflake · 04-03-2009 10:28AM

I have free texts for life on meteor and free calls for life once I top up 20euro a month... think I'm safe enough yeah?

Mr E · 04-03-2009 10:29AM

Gone Drinking wrote: »

Cool for you, but some of the rest of us like going outside!

I actually have a job at the moment, so I'm sitting in front of a PC all day. When I'm unemployed I'll get outside more, I promise.

biko · 04-03-2009 10:34AM

I suggest all TDs take a wage cut to standard factory worker level. That 91 million right there.

Caoimhín · 04-03-2009 10:39AM

A tax on stupidity would be nice.

JerryQ · 04-03-2009 10:43AM

The biggest users of texting are children. Typical of this government - aim a tax at the weakest in society.

Sizzler · 04-03-2009 10:44AM

Big Wave wrote: »

* Put €10 on wearing pyjamas outside the house.
* €30 tax on every pack of cigarettes.
* €20 tax on failing to signal properly on a roundabout.
* €20 stupidity tax on putting “L” plates up the wrong way around (backwards, sideways, on the bonnet, etc)
* €10 tax on saying "pacific" as a mispronunciation of "specific"
* €40 tax on blowing a whistle in a nightclub.

€100 Tax on Cars with "NO FEAR" stickers across the front windscreen.
€50 Tax on Hoodies
€30 Tax on LeCoq Sportif tracksuits
€50 Tax on Nike Air Max
€100 Tax on skanger names like Beyoncé / Rihanna / Britney / Ibiza etc.
€1000 tax on fake tanning. I mean TOTALLY loike OMG.

A tiered tax system on every punter arrested and charged before the courts in lieu of police and court time they have wasted, the more serious the crime the bigger the fine.

Let out all the petty / non-threatening / white collar crims that are clogging up the jails and get them out doing community service.

A few starters for ten

connundrum · 04-03-2009 10:48AM

According to the Examiner, 2 billion texts were sent in the last quarter of 2008.

If we assume that trends stay similar, 8 billion texts x 1c = €80m.

Either myself or the highly paid elected official has got their figures wrong.

Probably me

Edit - apologies for challenging the OP's figures too.

towel401 · 04-03-2009 10:49AM

if you put a tax on email nobody will use it anymore and they will all use freaking facebook instead. u dont want that now do you?

wyndham · 04-03-2009 10:49AM

Special annual levy on postcount for boards.ie members@ 10c per post. :pac:

connundrum · 04-03-2009 10:51AM

wyndham wrote: »

Special annual levy on postcount for boards.ie members@ 10c per post. :pac:

GTFO!

Sizzler · 04-03-2009 10:51AM

connundrum wrote: »

According to the Examiner, 2 billion texts were sent in the last quarter of 2008.

If we assume that trends stay similar, 8 billion texts x 1c = €80m.

Either myself or the highly paid elected official has got their figures wrong.

Probably me

Dont be so harsh friend.

The bowl Mary White got it orseways, she was struggling for the cupla focal live on air this morning. She admitted she hadnt "drilled into the figures". 1.4 Billion she reckoned she could coin in, LOL. Shes really earning her 100k a year isnt she?

Tax on texting

Comments