Bertie Ahern now an artist, book money exempt from tax

JeanClaude · 06-01-2010 09:17PM

El Siglo wrote: »

Bastard.

+1

imme · 06-01-2010 09:18PM

wilson10 wrote: »

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.

eh, the decision on granting artists exemption was made by THE ARTS COUNCIL

JaneyP · 06-01-2010 09:20PM

I cant stand him!! He knew what was around the corner and fled before he took the flak

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 06-01-2010 09:21PM

fcukin scam artist in an anorak

Ickle Magoo · 06-01-2010 09:26PM

imme wrote: »

eh, the decision on granting artists exemption was made by THE ARTS COUNCIL

The Arts Council of Ireland is the Irish government agency for developing the arts.

The Arts Council is a voluntary body of 12 members and a chair, appointed by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism for a term of five years.

http://www.artscouncil.ie/en/intro/about_us.aspx

galwayrush · 06-01-2010 09:39PM

topper75 wrote: »

I thought Revenue were stuck.

Yes, but they prefer the easier targets like the regular person struggling to make a living.

dolliemix · 06-01-2010 09:45PM

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

the morons that granted it should be strung up though. Yeah, the tax coffers are :

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Actually, interesting point. Who were these morons ?

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Ickle Magoo · 06-01-2010 09:51PM

I've already posted the link to that info above.

So it's a government agency with a board appointed by a government minister...well I can't see how there can be any shenanigans going on there.

Jeanious · 06-01-2010 09:54PM

Anyone up for some sort of campaign to publicly embarrass him into donating any and all money he gets under this to:
a) revenue, or
b) charity?

dolliemix · 06-01-2010 09:56PM

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

I've already posted the link to that info above.

So it's a government agency with a board appointed by a government minister...well I can't see how there can be any shenanigans going on there.

Apologies - didn't see that.

Probably is all technically and legally correct. but it boils my blood!

Ickle Magoo · 06-01-2010 10:01PM

Lol, I'm agreeing with ye - and being sarcastic. Sorry, it didn't type the right way it sounded in me head.

It sounds dodgy as hell to me. Government agency with government minister appointed board awards ex-Taoiseach tax exemptions. Hmmmm. :rolleyes:

Mr. Presentable · 06-01-2010 10:02PM

sorrywhat wrote: »

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

The perk is granted to a work that is “original and creative” and is “generally recognised as having cultural or artistic merit

Others getting the perk are Cork hurler Donal Óg Cusack for Come What May ; Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody for his autobiography; Frank Lahiffe for Séamus Brennan: A Life in Government ; RTÉ newsreader Michael Murphy for At Five in the Afternoon: My Battle with Male Cancer ; and publisher John Mulcahy for his first novel, Union .

Up until 2006 the scheme was unique in the world for allowing artists to keep every cent of their earnings, though they did pay PRSI. An earnings cap of €250,000 was introduced in 2006 and last December’s budget reduced the cap to €125,000.

Tbh, I don't see what the problem is. It is correct under the rules, and it is not as though he is the only one.

bonerm · 06-01-2010 10:03PM

coyle wrote: »

Anyone up for some sort of campaign to publicly embarrass him into donating any and all money he gets under this to:
a) revenue, or
b) charity?

Lol. The crook has a brass neck. He doesn't even know the meaning of the word embarrassed.

Ickle Magoo · 06-01-2010 10:09PM

nipplenuts wrote: »

Tbh, I don't see what the problem is. It is correct under the rules, and it is not as though he is the only one.

You don't think in a country where they are cutting social welfare, considering taxing pensions and closing hospitals; that making third rate celebrities tax exempt when they get someone else to pen a biography for them is just a little bit off?

galwayrush · 06-01-2010 10:10PM

coyle wrote: »

Anyone up for some sort of campaign to publicly embarrass him into donating any and all money he gets under this to:
a) revenue, or
b) charity?

With his record of monumental **** ups and brass neck, i doubt if this will even register as a thought in his mind , already ravaged by serious megalomania.

Davidius · 06-01-2010 10:13PM

I wonder if I can get a tax exemption by putting artist in my job title.

Astronaut Mathematician who fights crime and sleeps with many beautiful, sometimes extra-terrestrial women and is also an artist does have a nice sound to it, don't you think?

Mr. Presentable · 06-01-2010 10:13PM

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

You don't think in a country where they are cutting social welfare, considering taxing pensions and closing hospitals; that making third rate celebrities tax exempt when they get someone else to pen a biography for them is just a little bit off?

Of course it is

, but if you could do it wouldn't you? If it's within the rules.

Btw, "only" the first €125,000 is exempt.

junkyard · 06-01-2010 10:16PM

It's about time we got out the garlic and timber steak or this f*cker is going to keep coming back, he's got a neck like a jockeys b*llox that man!

seven-iron · 06-01-2010 10:25PM

I dont know why people are referring to the people who granted it as morons. They just follow the legislation which sets out the rules and criterian for the tax exemption. Doing their job.

Similarly, gardai follow the laws when they carry out their job. They dont have to be smart to do it.

starbelgrade · 06-01-2010 10:27PM

Bertie's book also comes in a hardback edition that comes wrapped in a brown paper sleeve, quite similar to an envelope.

Ickle Magoo · 06-01-2010 10:28PM

nipplenuts wrote: »

Of course it is , but if you could do it wouldn't you? If it's within the rules.

Btw, "only" the first €125,000 is exempt.

That's the point though isn't it. It shouldn't be within the rules that Bertie can get yet more hand-outs from the state. The loopholes for rich people to get out of paying tax when the average person is struggling to live here are just getting ridiculous.

deadhead13 · 06-01-2010 10:30PM

30,000 copies have been sold, for the publishing company to make profit it would have to sell at least 40,000. I not really sure how these things work exactly but hopefully this means Ahern will have to hand some of that tax-free advance back.

Ickle Magoo · 06-01-2010 10:34PM

seven-iron wrote: »

I dont know why people are referring to the people who granted it as morons. They just follow the legislation which sets out the rules and criterian for the tax exemption. Doing their job.

Similarly, gardai follow the laws when they carry out their job. They dont have to be smart to do it.

How having an autobiography ghost-written for you comes under the heading of "art" is beyond me, far less how he qualifies for something introduced to help struggling artists - the shoulder shrugging & general apathy towards these ridiculous government quangos is why Bertie and his ilk keeping getting away with it.

poochiem · 06-01-2010 10:39PM

My uncle said to me recently of our local Fianna Fáil councillor "He's got enough neck for three heads"...seems appropriate here.

seven-iron · 06-01-2010 10:40PM

Icklee magoo

I agree with you. My point was not to take it out on the people who were just doing there jobs. Im sure they were sick when they were doing it aswell, to be fair they just took a pay cut too, I'm sure they were furious.

Greaney · 06-01-2010 10:42PM

Two things about this are really heart breaking

1) Not all artists are intitled to this tax break. Interpretive artists do not recieve this tax break ie. singers, actors etc.

2) Most folk I know in the arts community who have this exemption earn between €5,000 and €12,000 a year.

No artists I know had a problem with there being a cap on the salary because most of them earned less than a 1/10 of it so it made no odds.

I work in the "arts" (dont' have tax status) and because my earnings from my profession (outside of teaching which most of us have to do) is over €7,000 I'm in the top percentage of my profession. It still puts me under the poverty threshold mind.:o

seven-iron · 06-01-2010 10:46PM

You work in the "arts"?

Greaney · 06-01-2010 10:56PM

You end up doing a bit of everything eventually so saying the "arts" is easier than, "I teach art and crafts, mask making , facepaint, drama, act, voiceovers, comedy....", and if you say you act for example, then you get "have I seen ya on the telly".

Seriously, saying I work in the "arts" is just waaaaay easier

seven-iron · 06-01-2010 10:58PM

Nice. Your not a newsreader are you????

Greaney · 06-01-2010 11:02PM

haha, if I were and on less than €7k I guess I'd be working for Galway bay FM:D

Bertie Ahern now an artist, book money exempt from tax

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