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 In early February every home in the country is to receive a leaflet to ensure that everyone is aware of Minister Phil Hogan’s controversial €100 Household Charge, which comes into effect from next month.
It has not yet been decided if the paper work for paying the charge will be included, but leaflets must be delivered over a 10-day period and the controversial tax must be paid by March 31st.
The government can not as yet put a cost on how much the delivery of these leaflets will cost, since it had just been offered to tender, but it seems likely that here in Ireland, An Post are the only operation with the logistical capacity to deliver same, nationwide. However under EU rules all public contracts,which are above a certain pricing threshold, and which go to tender, must be open to all delivery companies operating across Europe.
Who is exempt from the €100 Household Charge?
Truth is no one really knows as yet. However it would appear that those who would be a ‘force for most resistance,‘ to this charge, have been carefully factored out. People in ghost estates and those on mortgage interest supplement will get a waiver from the tax, while those living in council estates will be exempt.
Fines for those who won’t pay can be deducted from their wages or Social Welfare payments, as well as through Revenue and Irelands newest tax collector the ESB. While the latter two are having difficulty collecting their own just payments, we are informed that refusal to pay could result in a court appearance, a fine of €2,500 and or a term in jail. However latter is highly unlikely, since prison space in Ireland is currently at a premium for even major criminals.
This controversial €100 household charge is expected to raise some €160m in the coming year and will eventually be replaced with a property tax. Regarding the latter, the Government has decided to convene an expert group in early January to consider the issue. So the wealthy will again convene to decide on taxes which will affect the wealthy. Maybe they could also discuss giving up their Children’s Allowance entitlements when they eventually meet up.
However, opponents of this ‘Household Charge,’ live under the elusion that this latter decision now demonstrates that their campaign of pressure todate, against this unjust tax, is actually working.
Landlords have said they will pass on the €100 household charge to their tenants, so expect a massive Grecian style demonstration of ‘people power,‘ in the coming months folks, when people decide they have had enough of the creeps, the snake-oil salesmen and spoofers, who caused our financial ruin and yet continue to raise unjust taxes, to subsidise their personal greed and gross negligence.
Let us have your comments or subscribe to our “Opinion Poll,” on the right hand side of our home page.
- Increase i
 n Carbon Tax, as expected, pertaining to fossil fuels, from €15 per tonne to €20 per tonne. Note: The increased carbon tax will be applied to petrol and auto-diesel from midnight tonight, by 1½ cent per litre.
- No Carbon Tax on household fuels, e.g Turf, Briquettes, Timber or Coal.
- VAT rate to be increased by 2%.
- Government commits to not raise the standard rate of VAT beyond 23% during its lifetime.
- Introduction of a household charge of €100, again as expected, which can be paid by installments.
- Increase in Motor Taxation with effect from January 1st 2012.
- Reduction in the VAT rate on district heating from 21% to 13.5%.
- There will be no change in personal income tax.
- DIRT Tax increased from 27% to 30%.
- Universal Social Charge to have exemption levels raised from €4,004 to €10,036, removing an estimated 300,000 people from liability.
- An increase in mortgage interest relief for first time home buyers who buy from today and before 2013.
- Non-first time home buyers will benefit in 2012 from mortgage relief at 15% instead 10%.
- A property relief surcharge of 5% to be imposed on all investors with annual gross income over €100,000.
- Mortgage interest rate relief to increase to 30%.
- Modification to retirement relief for farmers from Capital Gains Tax, so as to encourage the timely transfers of farms and businesses prior to the current owners reaching the age of 66.
- Stock relief of 50% for all registered farm partnerships and 100% stock relief for certain young trained farmers.
- Stamp Duty on all commercial property including farmland to be cut by 6% to 2% from midnight tonight.
- Farmers can claim VAT refund on wind turbines, purchased with effect from January 1st 2012.
- A 9% VAT rate for tourism being extended to open farms.
- A report on Legacy Property Relief to be published with Finance Bill.
- A reduction in the Group A Tax-free threshold for Capital Acquisitions Tax from €332,084 to €250,000.
- Increase in the current rate of Capital Acquisitions Tax from 25% to 30% from tomorrow.
- Increase in Capital Gains Tax from 25% to 30% from tomorrow.
- Corporate tax exemption for new start-up companies to be extended for the next three years.
- A NAMA advisory group to be established which will advise on future NAMA strategy and make appointments to its board.
- A broadening of the base for PRSI through removal of the remaining 50% employer PRSI relief on employee pensions.
- A broadening of the PRSI base to cover rental, investment and other forms of income from 2013.
- Abolished is the “citizenship” condition for payment of Domicile Levy, thus ensuring that “tax exiles” do not avoid same by renouncing their citizenship.Tax treatment of tax exiles is to be kept under constant review.
- Introduction of a foreign earnings deduction for persons who are involved in developing markets in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries.
A new 550kW Biomass Boiler is currently under construction east of the Thurles Swimming Pool & Leisure Centre here in Thurles.
 Biomass Installation The project is estimated to cut the cost of the heating necessary for this local state of the art facility by one third, to under €100,000 per year.
Currently this venue costs €150,000 each year to heat, using bulk liquid propane gas, however now this new installation will be fueled using biomass, latter fuel which can be sourced locally.
This new venture should have the impact of retaining large money savings for within the local economy, thus resulting in more money for the support of other commercial purposes within Thurles.
Added to this, Thurles Town Council’s commitment to a reduction of the towns carbon foot print, has meant that the Swimming Pool management have embarked on improving further energy efficiency measures, e.g. installing additional wall insulation and lighting controls at this popular leisure facility.
By undertaking this project, Thurles Town Council now set a prime example to others in the Public Sector, on how they can lead the way, in strengthening other local economies.
 Deputy Noel Coonan TD Noel Coonan TD has welcomed today’s announcement that €105,415 has been allocated to North Tipperary County Council to assist the authority in meeting the costs associated with the operation of their Bring Banks and Civic Amenity Facilities.
Speaking to Thurles.Info this morning, Deputy Coonan said; “It is important to promote recycling now and into the future, especially as most landfills have closed or are about to close. This money will encourage our local authorities to continue to provide necessary waste management infrastructure. We can see that civic amenity facilities are hugely successful, and this funding is an incentive to increase opening hours and facilities throughout the constituency.”
Mr. Phil Hogan, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, today announced the provision of €5 million in funding to assist local authorities in meeting the costs associated with the operation of their Bring Banks and Civic Amenity Facilities for the period January to June 2011.
The funding is provided from the Environment Fund, through which the proceeds of the plastic bag and landfill levies are utilised to provide assistance and support, in respect of a range of waste management, litter and other environmental initiatives.
Discussions by local centre Thurles traders, carrying the banner “Thurles Traders Unite,” who met with Thurles Town Council recently, to discuss more flexible regulations regarding parking restrictions, development charges, the cost of rates etc, ended up receiving a rather negative response. However, very soon it would appear, Thurles Town Council may have to revisit their recent ‘lack lustre,’ decision making.
 Central Thurles While many of the issues reported as put forward by “Thurles Traders Unite,” to our Town Council, have as yet not been decided on, the Irish Governments have started a welcome positive initiative to deliver a multi-annual Action Plan for Jobs, aimed at “making Ireland the best small country to do business with in Europe,” and demanding quarterly targets from each involved department.
Under this new quietly welcomed aim, an implementation group consisting of representatives from the Department of the Taoiseach, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Forfás will be responsible for ensuring that these targets are met.
Following the publication of Action Plan for jobs, recently by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Employment Richard Bruton, North Tipperary Deputy Noel Coonan is now calling on North Tipperary County Council to “step up to the mark,” and reduce development charges for small businesses.
Noel Coonan TD believes job creation in the country must be kick started immediately and this requires Government and Local Authorities to work to achieve this aim. County and Town councils “must play their part in removing barriers to creating employment.”
Continue reading North Tipperary County & Town Council Charges
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