Tax on texting

bobbbb · 08-03-2009 5:18pm

TheVan wrote: »

Eh make it a 3c tax on texts and treble the income?*

I think its a genius idea...texts are (for the most part) discretionary and its an easy way to raise a large amount of money. Happy days. I'd rather that than saving money by slashing public transport or health by an equivalent figure.

I like it. Lets make it 5c. People wont even notice it when they are texting.
That half a billion € a year.

Mr.Lizard · 08-03-2009 9:21pm

Caoimhín wrote: »

A tax on stupidity would be nice.

We already have that. It's called the national lottery.

xOxSinéadxOx · 08-03-2009 9:24pm

what about free texts? surely because they're free the tax wouldn't apply?

ShooterSF · 08-03-2009 9:38pm

Why are we paying 21.5% VAT on calls and texts? Surely theyre a service and should be charged at 15%?

No surprise the greens want this they'd probably much rather we sent messages to each other by eco-friendly carrier pidgeon on recycled paper.

xOxSinéadxOx · 08-03-2009 9:43pm

Cos it's a luxury?

I dunno

Blush_01 · 08-03-2009 9:52pm

Tax on services is 13.5%, is it not?

If they levy texts, I'll just dramatically cut down on the texts I send. I already pay for credit and am taxed on it. If they want more money they can give up some of their excessive wages first. I'm all for moving politicians from a salary to a basic wage.

Venom · 08-03-2009 9:56pm

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

what about free texts? surely because they're free the tax wouldn't apply?

I would think while the mobile operator wont charge a fee per text(free text deals) sent they will have to charge the 1c tax if this comes in just like shops have to charge for plastic bags.

Venom · 08-03-2009 10:00pm

Blush_01 wrote: »

Tax on services is 13.5%, is it not?

If they levy texts, I'll just dramatically cut down on the texts I send. I already pay for credit and am taxed on it. If they want more money they can give up some of their excessive wages first. I'm all for moving politicians from a salary to a basic wage.

I was thinking the same thing the other week when that chopper with a minister in it had to make a emergency landing due to a door falling off made the news. He cost the tax payer something like 8k for the flight not taking into account the repair bills for the door. I wonder if politicians lost all expence accounts and perks like Garda drivers and free cars how much it would save the taxpayer per year instead of bull**** ideals like text tax.

Riddle101 · 08-03-2009 10:03pm

How are they going to tax us? I mean most people buy Top Ups so it's not like they can take it out of our bill, unless they expect us to hand over 1C just like that

Blush_01 · 08-03-2009 10:15pm

Riddle101 wrote: »

How are they going to tax us? I mean most people buy Top Ups so it's not like they can take it out of our bill, unless they expect us to hand over 1C just like that

Up the price of a text, with 1c going directly to the government - you top up by €20 but each text is taken from that €20, to leave you with your balance - it'd be no more difficult than billing per text or call as they already do when you top up.

Davy · 31-03-2009 6:55am

Going ahead it seems. 1cent on texts according to todays news.

Sam Vimes · 31-03-2009 7:22am

Davy wrote: »

Going ahead it seems. 1cent on texts according to todays news.

I assume this is being announced alongside Cowen's announcement that he's taking an 80% wage cut?

Cupcake_Crisis · 31-03-2009 7:26am

Is this atually going ahead??

This is possibly one of the stupid things i have ever heard!
It's not even about the money, im sure i wouldnt notice it that much even though i do send a huge amount of texts, its the principal!

I signed up to my network because i was promised free texts for life, and now because the governement made an arse of things i have to pay double tax???

This tax is going to affect people my age the most, around 17-22.....good luck getting us to vote now.

Mr.Lizard · 31-03-2009 8:35am

I'd like them to put a 50c tax on texts and 5euro tax on those annoying bloody ringtones. It might get people to stop acting like such idiots when it comes to their phone. On them all day long like it's some kind of life-support system.

Honestly I find some mobile phone users to be more anti-social than smokers, and I don't even smoke!

SV · 31-03-2009 11:04am

Mr.Lizard wrote: »

We already have that. It's called the national lottery.

I won 19000 on that the other day playing it once a week, 2euro quickpick.
some tax eh?

Mr.Lizard · 31-03-2009 11:11am

SV wrote: »

I won 19000 on that the other day playing it once a week, 2euro quickpick.
some tax eh?

Fair play to you. I didn't realise 19,000 was one of the prize amounts you could win. So well done.

I won over 6million on it just 3 weeks ago. Didn't want to brag about it but since you mentioned.

SV · 31-03-2009 11:14am

Mr.Lizard wrote: »

Fair play to you. I didn't realise 19,000 was one of the prize amounts you could win. So well done.

I won over 6million on it just 3 weeks ago. Didn't want to brag about it but since you mentioned.

Well technically it was on the euromillions, but it was paid by the national lottery

oh yeah the 6 million? I won that too but..wasn't worth mentioning really..

Mr.Lizard · 31-03-2009 11:25am

SV wrote: »

oh yeah the 6 million? I won that too but..wasn't worth mentioning really..

Exactly. If we all went around flaunting our 6millions in peoples faces we'd soon get a reputation as people who like to make a big deal out of nothing.

Tech3 · 31-03-2009 11:32am

Now I dont think 1 cent a text will generate alot of revenue. Sometimes I send 60 or 70 texts a day other times 10. If we average it out at say maybe 20 texts each

for 20 texts @2million people = 200 million for the year = f**k all really

ShooterSF · 31-03-2009 11:34am

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

Is this atually going ahead??

This is possibly one of the stupid things i have ever heard!
It's not even about the money, im sure i wouldnt notice it that much even though i do send a huge amount of texts, its the principal!

I signed up to my network because i was promised free texts for life, and now because the governement made an arse of things i have to pay double tax???

This tax is going to affect people my age the most, around 17-22.....good luck getting us to vote now.

And there in lies the problem. You meant to say good luck stopping us voting for another party now, right?

Mr.Lizard · 31-03-2009 11:38am

..... and wasn't there a figure thrown around earlier that estimated this tax would only generate €90m p/a?

ShooterSF · 31-03-2009 11:41am

Mr.Lizard wrote: »

..... and wasn't there a figure thrown around earlier that estimated this tax would only generate €90m p/a?

I'd happily pay you €90m next Thursday for another nail in the greens coffin today.

Tech3 · 31-03-2009 11:44am

Mr.Lizard wrote: »

..... and wasn't there a figure thrown around earlier that estimated this tax would only generate €90m p/a?

It really is hard to judge as teenagers send so many texts to put into average what the whole population would send per person. I would say it would be around 100-200 million wouldnt be much more or less than that.

31-03-2009 11:46am

SV wrote: »

I won 19000 on that the other day playing it once a week, 2euro quickpick.
some tax eh?

I believe him.

Mr.Lizard wrote: »

Fair play to you. I didn't realise 19,000 was one of the prize amounts you could win. So well done.

I won over 6million on it just 3 weeks ago. Didn't want to brag about it but since you mentioned.

Why can't you?

BeerWolf · 31-03-2009 11:56am

Definately a good idea

SV · 31-03-2009 12:09pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I believe him.

Why can't you?

Well it was 18706 really but..
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/3571/0015z.jpg

name and address edited out. (and some other little details)

Mr.Lizard · 31-03-2009 12:13pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I believe him.

Why can't you?

Who said I didn't believe him (her?) (besides you of course)?

31-03-2009 12:44pm

Mr.Lizard wrote: »

Who said I didn't believe him (her?) (besides you of course)?

my mistake lizard, i mistook your post as being sarcastic. funny enough.

Mr.Lizard wrote: »

Fair play to you. I didn't realise 19,000 was one of the prize amounts you could win. So well done.

I won over 6million on it just 3 weeks ago. Didn't want to brag about it but since you mentioned.

how's the 6 million going?

Mr.Lizard · 31-03-2009 12:47pm

It's going grand. Thanks for asking.

faceman · 31-03-2009 12:52pm

I think we should introduce a tax on Internet providers. For every 1kb less bandwidth below the advertised speed you get, a tax applies of €1.

spank_inferno · 31-03-2009 1:00pm

Overall its a silly idea for a few reasons:

We already pay tax on text messages, its called VAT
- Say a text costs 10c ex vat, vat inclusive its 12cent
- Jack up the vat on them to 30% and you've got a 13cent text
- therefore a 40% increase on sms vat would yield 1 cent per message sent
therefore not worth it.

Secondly, The mobile phone operators would (and rightly so) cry foul, and work their hardest to lobby against it.
Why should a very important revenue stream for these companies be randomly targeted like this?

Irelands best hope doesnt lie with hap hazard revenue generating stunts like this, If the national income is the same as 2003 levels, then expenditure should also be the same.
Simple as.

Remember folks, National income for 2009 is projected to be 34billion
Expenditure on just social welfare is 21 billion and rising.

by the summer we could be looking at 2/3rds of national income spent on social welfare alone!

Tax on texting

Comments