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The Finance bill that was published yesterday got a lot of attention for getting rid of the JP McManus Cinderella Rule. But there’s another provision that, to this tax non-specialist, looks designed to get a few London-based non-domiciled residents to move to Ireland.
Yesterday, in the aftermath of the climbdown regarding the Medical Cards fiasco, I read a post on the weblog of Green Party Justice Spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe, which dealt with the Medical Cards issue.
After reading the post, I gave him my view of the Fianna Fáíl / Green coalition, and put some questions to him and [...]
That’s the deal now on offer to those workers making just above the minimum wage. RTE on the inevitable income levy climbdown –
The Government has decided that people earning up to the minimum wage of €17,540 per year will be exempt from the 1% income levy announced in the Budget.
However, anyone earning above [...]
While there will be intense competition to pick out the single worst feature of the budget, there’s a good argument that it’s the income levy. To cut a long story short, it’s a display of Brian Lenihan’s utter lack of confidence in the tax system. Why?
With Gordon Brown’s one year stamp duty land tax holiday on properties costing £175,000 or less (up from £125,000), the differential between stamp duty on house purchases between the UK and Republic of Ireland is now even sharper. The zero rate in Ireland is only up to €125,000 and then goes to 7%, the highest [...]
Laszlo Kovacs is EU Tax comissioner and a big fan of the CCCTB he announced today that plans will continue to bring forward proposals and an imapct assesment of the CCCTB to the French Presidency. It is possibly as much a function of French will as his own, Sarko is well miffed that we wrecked [...]
Wednesday’s Irish Independent is a case-in-point for those of us who suspect the press of siding with the Establishment against the people over Lisbon. With jobs losses growing by the week, they cynically attempt to link the issue to the possibility of a “No” vote to the June 12th referendum. This article is pure facile [...]
Dublin City Council is considering the merits of imposing a “tourist tax” of €1 per night on beds in hotels, hostels and B&Bs in the city in order to raise additional revenue.
Ignoring the fact that this is the taxation equivalent of licking your plate clean after large a steak dinner, there are many questions that [...]
So State may be paying pensions to 8,000 deceased people. now according to the article a pension is €223 a week. Or for 8000 people for a year €92,778,000. Is it time we had a Minister for Waste because whoever is doing the checking is not doing a very good job.Maybe with a green budget [...]
The Progressive Democrat’s new leader should be in office in little under two months time, at present it looks like Cannon and O’Malley but there may well be one or more additional figures to go forward. Nominations for the post will close on March 5.
Edit: To add the procedure for voting will be a postal [...]
Ahern to challenge aspects of Mahon
Connell withdraws bid to stop files examined
After the 2007 Budget last December, Brian Cowen was called Santa Claus by those quick witted subeditors eager to fill a snappy headline. After all, the surprisingly large tax returns, mainly provided by the rampantly inflated housing market allowed him to provide a bumper ‘giveaway’ budget.
This year of course, with credit crunches and a collapsing [...]
€32,471.40: The average annual earnings of an adult male industrial worker in Ireland.
€38,000: Bertie Ahern’s pay raise for 2008.
Sources below.
This morning the pensions green paper was announced, with its own fancy dandy website. At the moment I am working through the executive summary. Its interesting that they went with a green paper on this one, this government has not been the best at consultation and has a very low record of consultation on policy. [...]
This post arose out of a discussion with Simon on Michael Taft’s C’mon Ye Know-Nothings, (18 September 2007). Fianna Fáil has produced an abundance of tax incentives to aid the construction industry. One of these schemes, the Rural Renewal Scheme 1999 (PDF FILE, 887KB), is set to run until 31 July 2008. According to the [...]
Fianna Fail certainly read their Sun Tzu. The legendary author of the ancient classic, ‘The Art of War’, stated that
To defeat your enemy without fighting is best.
Yes, indeed. Fianna Fail won the economics debate long before the last election began. And they hardly had to fire a PR shot. Labour’s Pat Rabbitte TD, suggested [...]
techPresident – The Future of Campaign Technology: The Ground Game
Irish Parties looking at learning online and database lessons from Obama could do worse than bear this post in mind. Almost as soon as the election is over, improvements and evolution are making some parts redundant and others essential. Get your campaign an i-phone for everyone? Might be better than printing flyers, it goes to show how parties, if they take it seriously, need to keep ahead of the wave - not just follow.
Colman at the EuroTrib give his reasoning on why Lisbon is dead. The Government's incapable handling of the budget cuts are the nail in the coffin.
Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar offers his view on how the SBP Opinion Poll would translate in an election.
Think tank: Time for democracy to click into place
Dan Sullivan gets himself into The Sunday Times, calling for the internet to connect citizens to a more meaningful democracy. Its an argument I agree with wholeheartedly myself. Have a read and let him know what you think.
Colm Burke MEP reckons that we need to get honest and tell people we will be holding a second Lisbon Vote in Oct 2009 with protocols desigend to secure a yes vote.
