Bertie Ahern now an artist, book money exempt from tax

biko · 2010-01-06 16:13:07

THE REVENUE Commissioners have granted former taoiseach Bertie Ahern tax-free status under the artists’ exemption scheme for earnings from his autobiography. He is among 69 new additions to the list of tax-free artists including 33 writers, 18 painters, five playwrights and scriptwriters, three musicians, three…

06-01-2010 05:13PM

#1

biko

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THE REVENUE Commissioners have granted former taoiseach Bertie Ahern tax-free status under the artists’ exemption scheme for earnings from his autobiography.
He is among 69 new additions to the list of tax-free artists including 33 writers, 18 painters, five playwrights and scriptwriters, three musicians, three installation artists, three photographers, two sculptors and one illustrator.
The perk is granted to a work that is “original and creative” and is “generally recognised as having cultural or artistic merit”.

Mr Ahern is believed to have received a substantial advance from publisher Random House, which describes the book as “frank and revealing” and giving the “truth behind the man who is Bertie” for the first time.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0106/1224261731760.html

What I don't understand is what's so “original and creative” and is “generally recognised as having cultural or artistic merit” about a biography?
Not that I have, or will, read it.

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#2 06-01-2010 05:14PM

sorrywhat

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I thought it was just fiction books that were exempt..... hmm

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#3 06-01-2010 05:15PM

Quazzie

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He's a con artist if that counts

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#4 06-01-2010 05:15PM

Le King

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It's B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Bertie. He can do what he wants. Fact of the matter is....

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#5 06-01-2010 05:17PM

ejmaztec

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If nobody buys his feckin crock o'sh1t book, he gets feck all.

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#6 06-01-2010 05:17PM

pebbles21

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Quazzie wrote: »

He's a con artist if that counts

What about a pi$$ artist?

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#7 06-01-2010 05:19PM

egan007

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Is this the new Tayto book?

done lay me Tayto.

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#8 06-01-2010 05:19PM

Hank_Jones

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That's good to hear.

He might want to buy a second house....

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#9 06-01-2010 05:20PM

rovert

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Another Bertie thread GREAT

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#10 06-01-2010 05:28PM

no1beemerfan

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Poor aul Bertie needs all the help he can get.

*I'd like to help push him off a cliff.

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#11 06-01-2010 05:31PM

markesmith

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Let's all suck it up! Whinge, and do nothing about it. It's the Irish way.

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#12 06-01-2010 05:33PM

no1beemerfan

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markesmith wrote: »

Let's all suck it up! Whinge, and do nothing about it. It's the Irish way.

I for one won't buy or read his book.

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#13 06-01-2010 05:35PM

rovert

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no1beemerfan wrote: »

I for one won't buy or read his book.

Geting the audiobook from the library are we?

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#14 06-01-2010 05:35PM

My name is URL

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sorrywhat wrote: »

I thought it was just fiction books that were exempt..... hmm

!

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#15 06-01-2010 05:38PM

topper75

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I thought Revenue were stuck.

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#16 06-01-2010 05:40PM

deisedude

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sorrywhat wrote: »

I thought it was just fiction books that were exempt..... hmm

Well in fairness judging from his outlandish excuses at tribunals a lot of the book will be fiction;)

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#17 06-01-2010 05:55PM

Hellm0

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Oh man...Seriously? What next, criminal immunity for life?

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#18 06-01-2010 05:57PM

InReality

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scam !

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#19 06-01-2010 05:58PM

Ruu_Old

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Watch his book become a best seller now. Ah isn't he just lovely! :rolleyes:

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#20 06-01-2010 06:01PM

cashville

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Jesus (25k fine oops) I hate that man.

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#21 06-01-2010 06:01PM

we'llallhavetea_old

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who cares? are you gonna buy the book op? doubt it, so get over it.

i'm bitchy today...

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#22 06-01-2010 06:05PM

CrazyRabbit

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I think Bertie is trying to bring back good old fashioned book burnings and is trying to give us some encouragement.

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#23 06-01-2010 06:12PM

no1beemerfan

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rovert wrote: »

Geting the audiobook from the library are we?

I wouldn't give that man the steam off me pi$$.

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#24 06-01-2010 07:12PM

drBill

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Is there no end to the number of ways he can give two fingers to the country he drove over a cliff? And he didn't get this automatically, he had to apply for it knowing that the spirit of this exemption was to assist 'poor' artists, not someone who is on a full Dail salary, ministerial pension, running into 5 figures. But when you enter politics in this country you clearly leave your conscience at the door.

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#25 06-01-2010 08:39PM

imme

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ejmaztec wrote: »

If nobody buys his feckin crock o'sh1t book, he gets feck all.

well he did get 100k advance, so he must have a very understanding publisher.

rovert wrote: »

Another Bertie thread GREAT

you must be a fan so:rolleyes:.

Bertie has been granted a tax exemption under the Artists Exemption scheme. He is neither an artist nor did he write the book, he got Dr. Richard Aldous UCD History Dept to ghostwrite it for him.
It's probably as well he, imagine the complete SH1TE that BBBBertie would have come up with, tears, separations, biscuit tins full of money, winning money on the gee gees.......*yawns*

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#26 06-01-2010 09:01PM

Milky Moo

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He is the reason you can't say chancer in the Dáil!

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#27 06-01-2010 09:03PM

El Siglo

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Bastard.

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#28 06-01-2010 09:04PM

Ickle Magoo

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So he applied for tax exemption, I expect nothing less from Mr *suitcase under the bed, dodgy as hell* Ahern - the morons that granted it should be strung up though. Yeah, the tax coffers are running so low we can't fund cancer centres and are trying to tax pensions but a rich man can get even richer. :rolleyes: :mad:

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#29 06-01-2010 09:09PM

epgc3fyqirnbsx

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http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=63310942&postcount=99

I think Dr Bill said it all here

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#30 06-01-2010 09:11PM

Liam Byrne

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Ickle Magoo wrote: »

the morons that granted it should be strung up though.

Actually, interesting point. Who were these morons ?

Were they people that Ahern "gave jobs to because they were [his] friends", too ?

I wonder will the media tackle this one, getting whoever ruled that Ahern should earn tax-free to explain themselves. :mad:

I can't earn a penny tax free, and can't afford to change my car, and can barely afford my house loan.

But Ahern gets money from businessmen tax-free (and has to be embarrassed into repaying the "loan"), gets a fortune for doing feck-all, gets a free luxury car and driver, and gets an office that was refurbished - not "bought", refurbished - for €200,000 !!! :mad:

The closest this prick comes to being an artist is if you put the word "con-" before it.

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#31 06-01-2010 09:15PM

wilson10

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He obviously make an application which was judged on it's merit by a reasonably senior civil servant who owes his fat salary to Bertie and his generous government and it's benchmarking scam, so why are we surprised at the outcome.

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