How far can I push not paying my tv licence

monkeysnapper · 17-10-2012 11:50AM #1

Im basically a person that always pays my bills on time, have licences for my dogs even tho I know most people who live around me laugh at the thought of having a dog licence, I paid my household tax in January.

I'm sick of this ****e , how long can I put off paying my tv licence , it was due end of August , I just got a letter saying I have to fill in a statutory declaration within 28 days .

For once I'd like to push the bully's back,
Sorry if this kind of thread has been done to death

Kenny Logins · 17-10-2012 11:51AM

Do you have a telly?

staker · 17-10-2012 11:53AM

Take a dump on your telly!! That'll learn 'em!

gobnaitolunacy · 17-10-2012 11:53AM

If you have paid it before and have not been called 'the occupant' on mailings then you're kinda screwed.

They will take you to court, eventually. That is, if you still have a telly.

Easier to dodge it you rent rather than own, and if you're in an apt with a keycode or some such to keep unwanted guests out.

ScumLord · 17-10-2012 11:54AM

You can push it to the limit.

Fixing Good · 17-10-2012 11:54AM

Those letter are automatically produced. I used to get them but put off paying until i got a visit. I just told the guy i could not afford it and all he said was to do my best to get one or he will have to act.
Just dont down right avoid it or be smart to an inspector.

the groutch · 17-10-2012 11:54AM

they've heard all the excuses, and none of them work

monkeysnapper · 17-10-2012 12:00PM

160 euros, for a load of garbage, I never watch rte, ....I know I know , I'm talking rubbish but a tv licence, I might tell inspector I don't have a tv licence but I promise its had all its jabs, it's been chipped and if I take it for walks I always have a muzzle on it , I'll get a specially made muzzle for tv and show him or her my dog licence and just say I got confused,

Hopefully he or she will say I didn't hear that one before

ronan45 · 17-10-2012 12:01PM

Push it till you get your summons. Then pay up:D

Shivers26 · 17-10-2012 12:02PM

Pay it monthly by DD. You barely miss €13 per month and they leave the DD in place and just send you a new licence every year.

Diddler1977 · 17-10-2012 12:08PM

monkeysnapper wrote: »

Im basically a person that always pays my bills on time, have licences for my dogs even tho I know most people who live around me laugh at the thought of having a dog licence, I paid my household tax in January.

I'm sick of this ****e , how long can I put off paying my tv licence , it was due end of August , I just got a letter saying I have to fill in a statutory declaration within 28 days .

For once I'd like to push the bully's back,
Sorry if this kind of thread has been done to death

When you go to pay they will backdate it to August. You can't get away with not paying.

Unless a new owner of your house goes to buy the licence.....

gurramok · 17-10-2012 12:11PM

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

If you have paid it before and have not been called 'the occupant' on mailings then you're kinda screwed.

They will take you to court, eventually. That is, if you still have a telly.

If he signs on the declaration that he has no tv now on renewal, how is he screwed?

gobnaitolunacy · 17-10-2012 12:14PM

gurramok wrote: »

If he signs on the declaration that he has no tv now on renewal, how is he screwed?

...read the rest, assuming he insists on keeping the tv.

JoeA3 · 17-10-2012 12:17PM

The mistake you made was paying it in the first place. Now they have your name, so I don't think there's much you can do short of moving house.

I get the odd letter, all addressed to the occupant, warning me that an inspector will call back. They never do! I'm not adverse to paying tax, I pay plenty of it as it is. I am however adverse to subsidizing Tubs/Kenny/Finucane's highly inflated salaries with this completely antiquated form of stealth tax. "Saor" view my arse!

gurramok · 17-10-2012 12:23PM

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

...read the rest, assuming he insists on keeping the tv.

If he makes a false declaration(keeping tv while declaring there is none), how can he be caught? The inspector tried to visit to see a tv in the first place but that way failed hence the posting of the declaration.

splashthecash · 17-10-2012 12:25PM

monkeysnapper wrote: »

Im basically a person that always pays my bills on time, have licences for my dogs even tho I know most people who live around me laugh at the thought of having a dog licence, I paid my household tax in January.

I'm sick of this ****e , how long can I put off paying my tv licence , it was due end of August , I just got a letter saying I have to fill in a statutory declaration within 28 days .

For once I'd like to push the bully's back,
Sorry if this kind of thread has been done to death

Someone already asked this but it wasn't answered....do you own a TV and have it in your residence?

If so, then you have to pay it - whether or not you like what RTE put out doesnt come into it....i don't the state of some of the roads I drive on but I still pay my car tax.

If you don't want to pay it, get rid of the TV....simples

Madam_X · 17-10-2012 12:27PM

He's not a bully for doing his job ffs.

I avoided it until I landed on their radar, after that: can't be avoided unfortunately.

gobnaitolunacy · 17-10-2012 12:30PM

gurramok wrote: »

If he makes a false declaration

That sounds like going from a spot of bother to deep sh*t if he's ever rumbled.

i.e. bad-ass legal type sh*t.

Mint Sauce · 17-10-2012 12:34PM

So let me get this straight OP. The TV licence which has a lot better database, therefore with a lot better chance of getting caught, your not paying.

That makes alot of sense.

:rolleyes:

RayM · 17-10-2012 12:35PM

I avoided it for a few months this year. Unlike most people, I've no real objection to paying it. I just didn't have the €160. The licence expired at the end of June. Within the space of two months, I received four letters, each one more threatening than the last. The first two were polite reminders. Then a "legal notice". Then they sent the statutory declaration form.

And then, when I finally bought the licence, the fuckers backdated it to the end of June.

ronan45 · 17-10-2012 12:37PM

My dad told me they have a van with a radar on top that goes around the neighbourhood and can tell when your watching tv by pointing the radar at the gaff :cool: Can even tell wat yar watching:pac:

JohnMarston · 17-10-2012 12:39PM

RayM wrote: »

And then, when I finally bought the licence, the fuckers backdated it to the end of June.

People should keep this point in mind. If you license expires in say september, and you avoid renewal until december. The license will only last until the next september.

I learned this one the hard way

gobnaitolunacy · 17-10-2012 12:40PM

ronan45 wrote: »

My dad told me they have a van with a radar on top that goes around the neighbourhood and can tell when your watching tv by pointing the radar at the gaff :cool: Can even tell wat yar watching:pac:

Urban legend I would think.
A lot of places the tv is near a window and on dark-ish days you can see the glow from it anyway.
The inspector naturally assumes every household has at least 1 tv.

Where To · 17-10-2012 12:43PM

I bought a TV stand on casters. I push it everywhere.

Cienciano · 17-10-2012 12:45PM

Does the TV licence exist? I listen and watch a lot of RTE. Especially current affairs programs. I've never heard a TV licence being mentioned. I mean, Pat Kenny or Joe Duffy will list off all the stealth taxes, but I've never heard them mention a TV licence. I've never heard a debate on it, never heard a caller ring in about it. It's always bins, water charges, VAT, income tax etc etc, never the TV licence. (i switch off during the ads btw!)

JoeA3 wrote: »

Now they have your name, so I don't think there's much you can do short of moving house.

You could get rid of the TV, handier than moving house

Madam_X · 17-10-2012 12:51PM

JohnMarston wrote: »

People should keep this point in mind. If you license expires in say september, and you avoid renewal until december. The license will only last until the next september.

I learned this one the hard way

In fairness it's wishful thinking to expect anything else. If you pay your motor tax late, they don't apply the charge from the date you pay; they apply it from the date it was due.

Nobody likes having to pay it, it sucks too when RTE is such a poor public service broadcaster paying insane salaries to its bigger names (some good home-produced documentaries/current affairs programmes, but most are made by external production companies, not RTE).

However, not paying it won't make it go away.

gurramok · 17-10-2012 01:02PM

Cienciano wrote: »

Does the TV licence exist? I listen and watch a lot of RTE. Especially current affairs programs. I've never heard a TV licence being mentioned. I mean, Pat Kenny or Joe Duffy will list off all the stealth taxes, but I've never heard them mention a TV licence. I've never heard a debate on it, never heard a caller ring in about it. It's always bins, water charges, VAT, income tax etc etc, never the TV licence. (i switch off during the ads btw!)

We can't have criticism of RTE on RTE!

SEPT 23 1989 · 17-10-2012 01:02PM

Wait until the inspector of the licence of the television calls to your home

He will then issue you with an ultimatum that you furnish said licence in the next 14 days and nights

If you don't do this you will get a summons and you will be dragged in front of a law judge to be punished

SouthTippBass · 17-10-2012 01:14PM

Madam_X wrote: »

In fairness it's wishful thinking to expect anything else. If you pay your motor tax late, they don't apply the charge from the date you pay; they apply it from the date it was due.
.

Yeah, but then you just tell the guards it was off the road :pac:
Wonder if you could do the same with the telly......

jester77 · 17-10-2012 01:56PM

If they send a letter addressed to "the occupant", then you can return to sender saying that "the occupant" no longer lives at this address.

That will stop them

Undercover Elephant · 17-10-2012 02:22PM

The inspectors have no power to enter your house without a warrant, and I don't think they have the power to get a warrant either. They have no power to make you sign anything, or talk about anything. You can just say "sorry, can't help you" and close the door. Usually they only get anywhere because people sign statements admitting they have a TV.

They could still prosecute you if they've seen a TV, whether you're watching it or not, though.

But please don't sign false declarations. That's a whole world of trouble.

NLA

How far can I push not paying my tv licence

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