Are you going to pay the household charge? [Part 1]

alastair wrote: »

Waivers

What are the waivers from payment of the household charge?


The waivers from payment of the household charge are as follows:
• Owners of residential property entitled to mortgage interest supplement
• Owners of residential property located in certain prescribed unfinished housing estates (see Unfinished Housing Estates section for more detail)

Persons claiming entitlement to a waiver are required to register their property.

Please note that all waiver claims will be validated. Persons who make false or misleading declarations in making a claim for a waiver will be liable to penalties under the legislation.

https://www.householdcharge.ie/Faq.aspx

alastair wrote: »

You're fooling yourself mate. And the fines are there to support enforcement, if they're needed - I wouldn't rely on cost as a bulwark - they've already factored for that.

alastair wrote: »

If he actually believed that the deadline had some sort of critical meaning.
Late payers are an equally useful source of revenue.

Upon this 21st day of March , the Irish nation finds itself just ten days away from the cut off date of being able to self register for what the Government calls the Household Charge, and what the majority of the population calls the Household Tax.


The latest figures show that just 15 per cent, that is, 251, 458 from a estimated 1.6 million homeowners, have currently registered. At this current juncture, that will mean the Government require the remaining 1,348,542 homeowners to register at an average of 134,854 a day!
Now, The Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan T.D. who is responsible for the management and implementation of this Tax, is making strong assertions that the money will be collected, whether people register or not, and penalties will be incurred by late payers, and dissenters, and he proposes to do this by amending the 2010 Fines Act. This act was brought into being as an alternative to sending people to prison upon their default of fine payment.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/pdf/2010/en.act.2010.0008.PDF


Now this approach raises a question, as there is a statutory requirement upon courts to ascertain whether the individual has the ability to pay the imposed fine in the first place. It appears that Phil Hogan, has the intention to collect these monies, on the premise of ‘Wont Pay’ as opposed to ‘Cant Pay‘. And many have expressed that they are prepared to ‘do time’ as their way of acknowledgement of breaching the law, surely an honourable thing to do, when the ability to pay seems beyond their means.


He also plans to amend the Data Protection Act to gather information on non paying homeowners, from Utility companies. . He may well have a problem with this if I read Section 6 correctly,
http://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/A_guide_to_your_rights_-_Plain_English_Version/858.htm
it reads:
“You can also ask a data controller not to use your personal details for purposes other than their main purpose – for example for marketing.”
Now, the Minister may well intend to plough ahead with this amendment, but by doing so,does he place the consumer in a position of litigator against the very Utility company being used, for breach of an existing contract? That is, the contract entered into, is being altered without the express permission of the signee…..therefore a breach of contract…?

Ok, now it is accepted that many people will flat out refuse to pay this tax, and that they are doing so, with the clear realisation that they will face some kind of fight down the road, and that is their right to do so.
However, there are many more, who at this stage, regardless of intention, have yet to completely make up their mind on the issue. They have correctly tried to examine both sides of the discussion, in order to make an informed decision. Alas, due to the extraordinary incompetence of the Government, and in particular Minister Hogan, many,many homeowners are still waiting to receive the information leaflet through their letter box.
For those without access to the internet, and other electronic media, this leaflet is fundamental to any informed decision making process.
Not only that, but if these people were considering the direct debit option, on the basis that they simple could not afford a once off payment of 100 euro, and preferred the 4 x 25 euro installment option, then they have clearly been placed in the ‘Cant Pay’ as opposed to ‘Wont Pay’ category, due to non receipt of the information leaflet before the direct debit cut off date of Feb 29th 2012.


And so, it is conceivable, that through the negligence, of the Government, and Minister Hogan, in particular, that many people may actually be found guilty of tax avoidance, a criminal offence, due to Government incomeptence.


I wonder if Minister Hogan has considered amending legislation to cover this?


And if Minister Hogan, does not achieve even a 50% sign up rate, that is 800 000 homeowners, which in any language has to be a clear failure of his brief, will he do the honourable thing and resign his position?
No, perish the thought!


http://reclaimthevoice.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/hogans-household-tax/

alastair wrote: »

Nonetheless - we're all aware of what fines are applicable for those who play akward to the end - you saying they haven't been factored in, because it sure looks like it to me?

Wild Bill wrote: »

The illegitimate Quisling Regime it operating and threatening it's citizens with violence at the behest of their German masters quite openly.

mikom wrote: »

Whooooooo whooooooooooooooo.
Boo!!!

alastair wrote: »

Just stick him on ignore. It's kinder.