More traction on this in the Independent from Shane Coleman:
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/c...fairness-and-you-would-be-right-35088165.html
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/c...fairness-and-you-would-be-right-35088165.html
Shane Coleman: "Nobody in power wants tax fairness"
- Thread starter odyssey06
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Brendan Burgess
Founder
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Hi Odyssey
I moved this from the other thread, as I think it really deserves to be highlighted.
"
Wanted: a politician to champion middle Ireland. The 'squeezed middle', if you want to use that term; ordinary workers in cities, towns and villages who hit the top rate of tax at €34,000; who paid their water charges because it was the law of the land to do so; and who don't have a medical card or benefit from the other services (quite rightly) provided by the State.
Because, currently, no one is speaking for those people in political life. The lack of reaction from the political parties to last week's report from the Irish Tax Institute is evidence of this."
I moved this from the other thread, as I think it really deserves to be highlighted.
"
Wanted: a politician to champion middle Ireland. The 'squeezed middle', if you want to use that term; ordinary workers in cities, towns and villages who hit the top rate of tax at €34,000; who paid their water charges because it was the law of the land to do so; and who don't have a medical card or benefit from the other services (quite rightly) provided by the State.
Because, currently, no one is speaking for those people in political life. The lack of reaction from the political parties to last week's report from the Irish Tax Institute is evidence of this."
Thanks Brendan... I'll just highlight some other key points:
- Somebody on €25,000 pays 5.6 times the amount of tax as a worker on €18,000. A worker on €35,000 pays 11 times the tax of somebody on half that salary. And the multiple is 44 if you're earning €75,000, rather than €18,000.
- So who's representing those who earn €35,000-€75,000 - the squeezed middle? Not Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil. Asked about the Institute of Taxation report last week, Martin stuck rigidly to the mantra about USC being the "focus", not the low income levels at which workers hit the top rate of tax.
- Not Fine Gael either. All their emphasis is on USC too. Leo Varadkar was last week heralding Fine Gael's record of removing half a million workers from the USC net.
When it was put to him that this inevitably meant an increased burden for middle-income workers, he didn't demur but said his priority was the lower paid. It seems a laudable position at first glance. But the Institute of Taxation report demonstrates that the low paid already pay the lowest tax in the OECD.
T McGibney
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Renua is dead. I'd wager it has fewer signed-up members than AAM. When it burns through its €250k State funding, it'll disappear forever.
I've been harping on about this for a long time- there is absolutely no party representing middle Ireland. I voted Renua last time and that went well!
I scoff every time I hear people say FG are 'right wing'. Pure rubbish. Their last 5 budgets had more on spending increases than on taxation/making the tax system fairer. The coming budget is flagged as being more of the same.
The recent child care proposals are supposedly aimed at those earning under 47k combined.
The USC, an 'emergency tax' has slowly being withdrawn from those on lower wages. While the middle are told that the tax is here to stay. It came in as a tax that all workers would pay.
Michael Noonan publicly stated back in 2012 he wanted higher house prices. And they are well on their way to getting back to boom time levels in Dublin at least.
NAMA was created to put a floor on property prices falling too far.
Tens of thousands of Irish people had to emigrate in the past 8 or so years. While down the docklands, nearly 100k 'new Irish' (as the IT call them) have received their citizenship papers.
Global corporations get all sorts of sweet heart tax deals and incentives to locate to Ireland. And the Govt go apocalyptic when told to tax them in the right manner.
University education- fees going up every year by €500. And only a matter of time before full blown fees are introduced...for those above certain incomes of course.
Transport fees for commuters have increased dramatically over the past 5 years. While the numbers on free passes has increased.
Health insurance fees ever increasing. And now penalties if you don't take it out before your 35. And even if you have it, there's no guarantee of getting a bed or not having to join a long waiting list.
Private pension pots raided during the crash
I could go on....
Why FG continue to move to the left, while their opinion poll %'s keep going south, is beyond me.
And we'll all supposed to be waiting for the hero, Leo, to save us! The Doctor who did very little in the Dept of Health except blame the system and his predecessors, before making a run for the Dept of Social Welfare at the first available opportunity.....God help Ireland!
I scoff every time I hear people say FG are 'right wing'. Pure rubbish. Their last 5 budgets had more on spending increases than on taxation/making the tax system fairer. The coming budget is flagged as being more of the same.
The recent child care proposals are supposedly aimed at those earning under 47k combined.
The USC, an 'emergency tax' has slowly being withdrawn from those on lower wages. While the middle are told that the tax is here to stay. It came in as a tax that all workers would pay.
Michael Noonan publicly stated back in 2012 he wanted higher house prices. And they are well on their way to getting back to boom time levels in Dublin at least.
NAMA was created to put a floor on property prices falling too far.
Tens of thousands of Irish people had to emigrate in the past 8 or so years. While down the docklands, nearly 100k 'new Irish' (as the IT call them) have received their citizenship papers.
Global corporations get all sorts of sweet heart tax deals and incentives to locate to Ireland. And the Govt go apocalyptic when told to tax them in the right manner.
University education- fees going up every year by €500. And only a matter of time before full blown fees are introduced...for those above certain incomes of course.
Transport fees for commuters have increased dramatically over the past 5 years. While the numbers on free passes has increased.
Health insurance fees ever increasing. And now penalties if you don't take it out before your 35. And even if you have it, there's no guarantee of getting a bed or not having to join a long waiting list.
Private pension pots raided during the crash
I could go on....
Why FG continue to move to the left, while their opinion poll %'s keep going south, is beyond me.
And we'll all supposed to be waiting for the hero, Leo, to save us! The Doctor who did very little in the Dept of Health except blame the system and his predecessors, before making a run for the Dept of Social Welfare at the first available opportunity.....God help Ireland!
I read this and thought it was spot on. I really don't think there's even one politician who represents the middle. I couldn't even imagine who I'll vote for next time - there doesn't seem to be anyone there for me. No one is doing anything about high interest rates, high taxes, high medical expenses if youre over the threshold for medical card. with 144 a month for tablets and docs on top of that! the fact that you seem to be constantly paying out and never anything left. I'm fed up of it tbh.