What changes you would make?

footballmcking

Hi everyone,

As we all know, the budget is just around the corner and thought it would be interesting to see what changes would you implement if you were the Minister of Finance... I'm not connected to any policitcal party, just want to see if there are any new fresh ideas that haven't been thought of before.

I'll start:
My idea is to create a "fat" tax on all foods that contain high amounts of sugar and fat in order to create funds that will combat the growing obesity epidemic.


Cheers

Archeron

I would record Phil Hogan being kicked in the bol*ix and charge €10 a pop to view the video. Recession sorted within a week.

woodoo

Legislation that would ensure every company in Ireland be made pay the full 12.5% corporation tax. Including powers to comb through the books to see if any skulduggery is going on.

hfallada

Get rid of the special tax allowances for OAPs. Why should an OAP not have to pay dirt while a student barely surviving having to pay dirt on their savings. Also get rid of other tax credits for OAPs.

Fitz123

Reduce foreign aid, we can't afford to honour committments to pay a % of GDP in aid.
Allow proper casinos in Ireland (boost tourism etc.)
Legalisation of prostitution (boost tourism ! It's there anyway, tax it)
Reduce €200k limit of pension tax free lump sums and ex-gratia payments
Cap the standard fund threshold for pension funds @ €1.2 million.
Cap of social welfare payments per individual / family (at what level I have no idea.)
Reduce to 2 years the limit of claiming back tax refunds (to encourage people to promptly file online)
Reintroduce a minimum amount of say €150 below which tax relief on medical expenses cannot be claimed.
As mentioned DIRT charged on OAPS, USC charged the same for them also.
Childrens allowance eliminated. Replaced by increased social welfare / tax credits (for those earning less than a certain amount. No replacement for those earning above a certain amount.)

Geuze

Excise duty on high fat / sugar / salt foods sounds good, yes.

But then why did Denmark abolish their tax on saturated fat??

RichardAnd

Archeron wrote: »

I would record Phil Hogan being kicked in the bol*ix and charge €10 a pop to view the video. Recession sorted within a week.

I'll give you 100 if you let me do the kicking.

Red Crow

Reduce the social welfare bill. Cut the dole and make incentives for people to find work. Bring more people out of the medical card net but protect the most vulnerable in society. If someone has been on the dole for 2+ years then it should be cut immediately. Change the grant system in college whereby a student is entitled to his/her book fees and a proportion of relief of their tuition fees based on their circumstances. This removes the lump sum payments which are ridiculous.

Oh I'd also make people pay towards a pension fund. We'll be left up sh1t creek in the future becuase thousands of people aren't capable of any long term planning

sarumite

Cut money from government payments I don't receive and increase taxes in a manner in which I wouldn't be overly affected. Just thought I would get it out there since its the underlying reason behind many discussions on here.

Nothing in particular - I would stick with the plan and go for the full adjustment aiming for a balanced budget in a few years.

srsly78

woodoo wrote: »

Legislation that would ensure every company in Ireland be made pay the full 12.5% corporation tax. Including powers to comb through the books to see if any skulduggery is going on.

Companies already get audited. They avoid paying tax by simply not making any profit here. This is done by the Irish company having to pay loads of royalties etc to it's foreign parent.

So yes they already pay the full 12.5% corp tax - on their token 1 euro of profit.

Gumbo

hfallada wrote: »

Get rid of the special tax allowances for OAPs. Why should an OAP not have to pay dirt while a student barely surviving having to pay dirt on their savings. Also get rid of other tax credits for OAPs.

If the student is barely surviving, then surely they should have no savings

Dampintheattic

Make cyclists pay road tax. They use the roads as well as cars.

Put a 4000% levy on alchopops.

Get rid of that stupid legislation that allows Bono, et all, escape paying their fair share.

Reopen Spike Island Prison. Fkuck all the wanker bankers and boom bust politicians into it.
Charge the public €1 to come and throw rotten eggs at them. Make a fortune for the exchequer.

srsly78

There is no such thing as road tax, are you proposing to introduce it?

Also Bono pays his tax in Ireland just like the rest of us. Are you confusing U2's management company with his personal tax affairs?

ponceprhea

Does ireland ever reduce tax?

if so please reduce car tax for cars based on engine size, its crazy having to pay 700 euros a year for a car worth no more than 1000 euros.

And before anyone suggests to buy a car based on emissions, I wish I could, thank you but I haven't got the money, my car is 13 year old.

If the UK did it, then why can't (waste of european space) Ireland.

Dampintheattic

srsly78 wrote: »

There is no such thing as road tax, are you proposing to introduce it?
Road tax explained here, for those who do not know:cool: http://www.vrt.ie/roadtax.php

Oh, and by the way, why not an annual NCT test for bikes. Half of them are down right dangerous

Also Bono pays his tax in Ireland just like the rest of us. Are you confusing U2's management company with his personal tax affairs?

So what? Get the bleeding heart, third world campaigner, to bring his management company home to the Liberties:P

srsly78

ponceprhea wrote: »

Does ireland ever reduce tax?

if so please reduce car tax for cars based on engine size, its crazy having to pay 700 euros a year for a car worth no more than 1000 euros.

And before anyone suggests to buy a car based on emissions, I wish I could, thank you but I haven't got the money, my car is 13 year old.

If the UK did it, then why can't (waste of european space) Ireland.

It's supposed to act as an economic incentive to upgrade your car, blame the greens.

Similarly, the "road tax" referenced above is actually a carbon tax based on emissions. This could happily be applied to cyclists, but would zero emissions equals zero tax?

ponceprhea

srsly78 wrote: »

It's supposed to act as an economic incentive to upgrade your car, blame the greens.

I see it as a extra tax on lower earners.

Comparing to UK, they kept the tax at a low level for older cars that are not based on emissions, so therefore helping people with less money to keep them on the road.

In Ireland, they just taxed these same people more, it doesn't make any sense.

V.W.L 11

they'll fix meters to cars next to "pay as you drive" on top of everything other tax for the crippled motorist

spank_inferno

Eli Manning wrote: »

most vulnerable in society.

Bingo!!!

Anyone else playing "budget cliche bingo"???

Brussels Sprout

sarumite wrote: »

Cut money from government payments I don't receive and increase taxes in a manner in which I wouldn't be overly affected. Just thought I would get it out there since its the underlying reason behind many discussions on here.

“Major Major’s father was a sober God-fearing man whose idea of a good joke was to lie about his age. He was a longlimbed farmer, a God-fearing, freedom-loving, law-abiding rugged individualist who held that federal aid to anyone but farmers was creeping socialism]. He advocated thrift and hard work and disapproved of loose women who turned him down. His specialty was alfalfa, and he made a good thing out of not growing any. The government paid him well for every bushel of alfalfa he did not grow. The more alfalfa he did not grow, the more money the government gave him, and he spent every penny he didn’t earn on new land to increase the amount of alfalfa he did not produce. Major Major’s father worked without rest at not growing alfalfa. On long winter evenings he remained indoors and did not mend harness, and he sprang out of bed at the crack of noon every day just to make certain that the chores would not be done. He invested in land wisely and soon was not growing more alfalfa than any other man in the county. Neighbors sought him out for advice on all subjects, for he had made much money and was therefore wise. “As ye sow, so shall ye reap,” he counseled one and all, and everyone said, “Amen.”

link

JoeyJJ

Enforce the Corporation Tax, Enforce a very high tax on profits from oil and gas exploration.

However I would try to help working families by introducing a tax discount on creche fees, reducing the cost of working for families.

V.W.L 11

incentives to make working more attractive than the dole????although its a long shot,plenty of people already have a well established career of being spongers,and alot of those spongers were still sponging in the boom and they expect the same lifestyle as the decent hard working men and women by staying at home and doing no work for their money,community schemes of 20 hours per week perhaps???

Idbatterim

incentives to make working more attractive than the dole????although its a long shot,plenty of people already have a well established career of being spongers,and alot of those spongers were still sponging in the boom and they expect the same lifestyle as the decent hard working men and women by staying at home and doing no work for their money,community schemes of 20 hours per week perhaps???

they only expect it because it has become the norm for them. We can point the blame solely on the current and previous governments for this one...

knipex

JoeyJJ wrote: »

Enforce the Corporation Tax,

They allready do..

JoeyJJ wrote: »

Enforce a very high tax on profits from oil and gas exploration.

There are no profits in oil or gas exploration.. It costs money. The profits come from production..

thebman

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

incentives to make working more attractive than the dole????although its a long shot,plenty of people already have a well established career of being spongers,and alot of those spongers were still sponging in the boom and they expect the same lifestyle as the decent hard working men and women by staying at home and doing no work for their money,community schemes of 20 hours per week perhaps???

They won't do that, they'll see what real protests look like then.

Count Dooku

Stop overseas aid waste until economy will recover

Tea drinker

Idbatterim wrote: »

they only expect it because it has become the norm for them. We can point the blame solely on the current and previous governments for this one...

We all have our part to play, personal responsibility is important too, if the spongers etc have to learn it the hard way, I have no issue with it.

Social welfare = one of the most anti social and damaging projects ever foisted on the community.
It's like how Labour party is actually the Labour exchange party. It's fundamentally anti work and anti competitive.

Idbatterim

We all have our part to play, personal responsibility is important too, if the spongers etc have to learn it the hard way, I have no issue with it.

yeah I agree and was going to put that in my original post, but then changed my mind as I didnt feel the need to point out the obvious for the following reason. The people doing this though have no sense of responsibility and never will, so the buck stops with the government IMO...

hfallada

I dont understand why we send foreign aid to half of the countries we do. Like Uganda who think its perfectly ok to kill Gay and discriminate against them. Its the point of aid to improve the lives of others.

A_Sober_Paddy

Cut funding(to Zero) for foeign "aid", Arts and Sports...

Look to invest in Education and Health

Idbatterim

I dont understand why we send foreign aid to half of the countries we do. Like Uganda who think its perfectly ok to kill Gay and discriminate against them. Its the point of aid to improve the lives of others.

I agree with this to a large extent, but dont see the point in discussing something the government would never even contemplate, i.e cutting foreign aid... Its all about perception and saving face...

Dannyboy83

Make Irish fully optional at second level.

Heavily reduce spending on non-essentials such as RTE, Arts and Sports

Offload NAMA assets in bulk to wealthy Middle Eastern investors

Dannyboy83

spank_inferno wrote: »

Bingo!!!

Anyone else playing "budget cliche bingo"???

Such and such 'has now been cut to the bone' !
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cut to the bone

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cut to the bone

spank_inferno

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Cut funding(to Zero) for foeign "aid", Arts and Sports...

Look to invest in Education and Health

Explain this one please.

I'd love to know more of your world of no sport, art or assistance to those who really need it more.

skafish

Personally, I would like to see reform of the system that allows politicians claim several pensions, and sometimes, a huge salary all at the same time. The current set of TDs include a number of people who were in the seanad before the last election (Joe McHugh, Michael McCarthy, to name but two). These people are now draeing a pension of up to €35K , on top of their overly generous dail salaries and perks. Also, politicians should only get one pension. Mary O'Rourke is currently claiming three: teacher. TD and Senator, any one of which is probably more than the average industrial wage.

Also, I would do away with the occurrence whereby retired public servants are allowed claim their pensions and take up another state job. They should be entitled to a state salary or pension, not both.

V.W.L 11

thebman wrote: »

They won't do that, they'll see what real protests look like then.

they've cut personal welfare rates 3 times and nothing much happened,if this country had the attitudes of the french,enda,merkel,the imf and the rest would sit up and take notice then,the austerity will continue in some shape or form for generations to come

Geuze

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

they've cut personal welfare rates 3 times and

Twice, for most main rates.

Except State Pensions = no cuts.

Except Child Benefit = three cuts.

Dave!

I'd means test any social welfare payments that are not currently, e.g. child benefit.

Also stop giving the full dole amount to young people who live with their parents.

mariaalice

I would like to see things like free gp care, low cost school meals, free school books, low cost child care and less cash payment to social welfare recipients. It would be a fairer and more equitable system all round.

Idbatterim

I'd means test any social welfare payments that are not currently, e.g. child benefit. Also stop giving the full dole amount to young people who live with their parents.

The idea sounds great in theory, but what you are doing is simply adding another incentive not to work and closing the gap (if it even already exists depending on income and circumstances) The people who will be stripped of this benefit are the ones already paying a fortune in and getting very little in return... While we are on the education topic.

1)Massively cut child benefit and have it that all school related costs are paid directly by the state

2) With regards to college forget any grants etc, let them take out a loan for anything college related (possibly part subsidised by the government)

I would like to see things like free gp care

I wouldnt give anything for free, if you do, it is abused, have it that there is a E20 or so fee...

spank_inferno

Dave! wrote: »

I'd means test any social welfare payments that are not currently, e.g. child benefit.

Also stop giving the full dole amount to young people who live with their parents.

Christ Dave, what rock have you been living under?

Both the above are already the case!

Though for the 2nd one, its a lower rate whether the young person lives in the family home or not.

ardmacha

Except State Pensions = no cuts.

Without being pedantic, was the Christmas double week not removed, so a 2% cut?

spank_inferno

ardmacha wrote: »

Without being pedantic, was the Christmas double week not removed, so a 2% cut?

Ending a bonus is not a pay cut
(so my boss told us!)

nemesis1000

spank_inferno wrote: »

Christ Dave, what rock have you been living under?

Both the above are already the case!

Though for the 2nd one, its a lower rate whether the young person lives in the family home or not.

WHAT BENEFITS ARE MEANS TESTED spank_inferno?
NOT ILLNESS BENEFIT, DISABLEMENT BENEFIT, INVALIDITY PENSION...

Max Powers

• Max social welfare limit
• Fat/sugar tax
• Decriminalise and tax prostitution (mentioned in thread already, not nice i know but its not going away)
• Overhaul social housing - seems to be too easy for young people to have a kid and get bumped up list of housing needs. I would like to see social housing for those in physically disabled, physical danger eg women experiencing violence etc being prioritised.
• Use portion of child benefit to reduce child care for all.
• Look at the (to large extent) older sections of society who have escaped worst of recession.
• Scrap transition year in schools (as part of total revamp of education focusing more on Maths, Science, Languages).
  Scrapping large amount of the quangos
  

OldNotWIse

Dave! wrote: »

I'd means test any social welfare payments that are not currently, e.g. child benefit.

Also stop giving the full dole amount to young people who live with their parents.

Did they not do this last time? (not that I dont agree)

OldNotWIse

Make Enda Kenny live on the dole for a month. We could turn it into a reality tv show and the advertising revenue would push us into the black again

knipex

Max Powers wrote: »

• Fat/sugar tax

Why fat and sugar ?

Milk is relatively high fat especially compared to a diet soda.. Which would you give your child ?? Fruit juices are very high in Sugar again particularly when compared to a diet soda.

Excessive carbohydrates apparently can cause obesity..

Why target Sugar and fat in particular ??

OldNotWIse

knipex wrote: »

Why fat and sugar ?

Milk is relatively high fat especially compared to a diet soda.. Which would you give your child ?? Fruit juices are very high in Sugar again particularly when compared to a diet soda.

Excessive carbohydrates apparently can cause obesity..

Why target Sugar and fat in particular ??

I'd have no prob with a tax on saturated fats and trans fats tbh. Sugar, I'm not sure..I mean, it's in everything. Hope they dont come here looking for ideas lol ssshhhh!

tayto lover

Make the criminals pay for their crimes from their dole.

Free Legal Aid only for those found innocent.
Those found guilty should have the Legal Aid fee taken from their dole or wages if working.
Juveniles who are guilty of crimes would also think about it if their parents had to pay.
Crime would be seriously reduced. It might make the streets safer too.