Tax on texts

[corkboy360]

Apparently the government are thinking of taxing us per text.
Joke really the one thing without tax that everyone uses.Suprised they have only thought about it now though.

[John83]

It's pretty pathetic really, seeing them scrounging for stuff like this.

[Wolfie]

(if you drive a car) - I'll tax the street;
(if you try to sit) - I'll tax your seat;
(if you get too cold) - I'll tax the heat;
(if you take a walk) - I'll tax your feet.

Taxman- The Beatles

[corkboy360]

(if you drive a car) - I'll tax the street;
(if you try to sit) - I'll tax your seat;
(if you get too cold) - I'll tax the heat;
(if you take a walk) - I'll tax your feet.

Taxman- The Beatles
Or ryanair (if you need a ****)you must pay for the toilet.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I can't see why Texting should be exempt if we've gone down the route of taxing consumption. All that's been mentioned is a 1 cent tax. If it raised a 100 million quid (Mary Harneys sums) how bad?

[kingdom hoop]

Or to keep the rhyme going:

(if you take a bite) - I'll tax the meat
(if you see a friend) - I'll tax the greet

[corkboy360]

I can't see why Texting should be exempt if we've gone down the route of taxing consumption. All that's been mentioned is a 1 cent tax. If it raised a 100 million quid (Mary Harneys sums) how bad?
As you very well know 1cent becomes 5cents which becomes 15 which becomes............
Still wondering how this would effect free texts for people already on networks who have them "for life".

[kingdom hoop]

Still wondering how this would effect free texts for people already on networks who have them "for life".

The company pays I suppose?

[sligoman]

As you very well know 1cent becomes 5cents which becomes 15 which becomes............You really think this will develop into 15 cent tax on texts? Don't be ridiculous.

[corkboy360]

The company pays I suppose?
Ya if they do though they will probably put a cost charge on buying credit.
You really think this will develop into 15 cent tax on texts? Don't be ridiculous.
Aw right so it will stay at 1 cent forever:rolleyes:
What price is a plastic bag these days ?;)

[sligoman]

Aw right so it will stay at 1 cent forever:rolleyes:
What price is a plastic bag these days ?;)Did I say it would? It would never develop into a 15cent tax though. Nobody would be using them then, that's not want the government want...unlike plastic bags.

[kingdom hoop]

Ya if they do though they will probably put a cost charge on buying credit.

Or of course they could just put the price of texts up by a few cent for those who do pay and thereby absorb the tax that way. I wouldn't worry about the companies anyway.


Plastic bags are 22 cent I think? Started at 15 and up to about that. It's widely heralded as a great success internationally, and has been followed in loads of countries. Much like the smoking ban. And maybe the texting tax - though texting doesn't blight society to quite the same extent as smoking or plastic bags. Mind you if spelling continues to deteriorate there might be strong arguments to say it does!

[Lionel Ritchie]

Ya if they do though they will probably put a cost charge on buying credit.
Aw right so it will stay at 1 cent forever:rolleyes:
What price is a plastic bag these days ?;)

No it won't stay at one cent and why should it? Personally I'd start at 10 cent and see how it goes from there. Might get people to put it away for a few minutes a day.

I think plastic bags have increased in price what? Once? ...and the bag levy was an excellent idea.

[corkboy360]

Did I say it would? It would never develop into a 15cent tax though. Nobody would be using them then, that's not want the government want...unlike plastic bags.
The goverment know that people will always text especially the younger generation who text more anyway.


. Mind you if spelling continues to deteriorate there might be strong arguments to say it does!
Why would the spelling deteriorate though because of tax?:confused:

[mypost]

Apparently the government are thinking of taxing us per text.Suprised they have only thought about it now though.

21 months in government, and Green initiatives get as far as taxing people for having conversations. Wow, what a contribution!!! :rolleyes:

Of course it will be implemented, even if there's a "childrens shoes" ring to all this. Unlike Jim Kemmy though, I doubt anyone will vote against their own party and bring down the coalition as a result of it. :rolleyes:

[Sheridan]

1c tax per text seems like a pretty painless revenue-spinner to me, even if it typically aimed at the working class rather than those who can afford to contribute far more (maybe it should be 5c for bill-paying customers and 10c for business packages!)

[osarusan]

Why would the spelling deteriorate though because of tax?:confused:
Not through tax, the point is that textspeak has become a problem in this and other countries. A tax on texts might reduce the number of texts sent and therefore slow the spread of textspeak.

I'd have no problem with it being introduced at say 2 cents. That's maybe 200 million a year, and hopefully it will stop people from texting so much. I'd say I send 5 texts a week at most.

It's great having no friends.

[SkStu]

until very recently, i was without a mobile for the last 3 years and it was the best thing i ever done. I hate them. I used to never answer calls and really only ever texted people. I hated being contactable all the time but was deffo addicted to texting and started getting this weird clicking in the knuckle of my thumb (which has since disappeared by the way)...

Work gave me a blackberry recently and i hate it and use it only occasionally for checking and sending emails when out of the office.

Did i mention how much i hate mobile phones?

Tax away!!

[pete]

It could be sold as an education levy that is used (as Zoolander might say) to teach the kids who can't speak good.

:)

[Pauro 76]

Tax fresh air. Go on, I dare you.

[dahamsta]

Is there an actual sourse for this "apparently", or is it an "I heard in de pub from my mates granny's goat" type of apparently?

[Sheridan]

The Greens' deputy leader hoisted the kite very explicitly, hasn't been any comment from the government proper AFAIK.

[sligoman]

I heard Mary Harney mention it was certainly something they could look into on RTE the other night.

[corkboy360]

Not through tax, the point is that text speak has become a problem in this and other countries. A tax on texts might reduce the number of texts sent and therefore slow the spread of text speak.

I'd have no problem with it being introduced at say 2 cents. That's maybe 200 million a year, and hopefully it will stop people from texting so much. I'd say I send 5 texts a week at most.

It's great having no friends.

Text speak for me just saves time nd if you have a long message you can fit it in with text speak.


Is there an actual sourse for this "apparently", or is it an "I heard in de pub from my mates granny's goat" type of apparently?


The Greens' deputy leader hoisted the kite very explicitly, hasn't been any comment from the government proper AFAIK.


I heard Mary Harney mention it was certainly something they could look into on RTE the other night.
Was also on redfm "cork talks back" last night.

[pete]

Green Conference (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0309/1224242515589.html)



Proposal to tax texts criticised

A proposal by deputy leader Mary White to put a 1 cent tax on every mobile phone text message was criticised at the party’s national conference in Wexford, for “hitting the less well off”.

Cllr Tony McDermott (Terenure/Rathfarnham, Dublin) said “texting is an important method of communication and provides many positive functions, particularly for the young and the vulnerable.

“Putting a tax on texts would hit the less well of because high-end phones have internet-based ‘instant messaging’ and people who use more expensive phones would escape the tax. Technology that connects people and improves communication must be encouraged.”

About 25 million text messages are sent by Irish mobile phone users daily, which would generate €91 million in tax revenue annually.

[Dodge]

I heard Mary Harney mention it was certainly something they could look into on RTE the other night.

Can't remember her exact words but it was something like "We hear talk about a tax on texts and its something we'll have to look at"


EDIT; Irish times article (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0306/1224242372992.html)

Minister for Health Mary Harney indicated yesterday that the tax on texts was among a range of options being considered in the forthcoming budget. “There are a lot of reliefs that have to be examined, there’s excise taxes, we’ve heard reference to text taxes, we’ve got to look at all these things,” Ms Harney said.

[DmanDmythDledge]

The goverment know that people will always text especially the younger generation who text more anyway.
People would just use webtext when at home and makes calls when out as a quick call would be cheaper than a text (almost is at the moment). If there's going to be a tax on texts it will be small.

I don't have a problem with a tax on texts. Won't cost people that much and would generate a decent amount of income for the government.

[dahamsta]

Thanks for posting sources.

Slipperly slope, I say.

[Dodge]

Thanks for posting sources.


You not see the thanks button? :p

[dahamsta]

You not see the thanks button? :pDammit, and I was the one that installed it! :D

[Macy]

The greens hard at work with the big solutions to the big problems, again.... Wasn't White the genius behind a seperate driving licence for rural people - they should be exempt from having to actually pass the test like them there city folk?

Surely texts are already taxed - VAT on bills/ top ups?

[Dodge]

Surely texts are already taxed - VAT on bills/ top ups?
There are a couple of operators offering free texts. Even with qualifying top ups the money will go towards call charges and that’s where VAT would be added.

I'm not sure how operaters would pass a "text tax" on to these customers

[Macy]

It's a long time since I was on prepaid, but there used to be a minimum top up amount over a certain period. On my bill pay, I get free texts as part of my tariff, on which VAT is charged. I'm not really arsed, but this is just more bloody tinkering whilst Rome burns - they oversee stupid bank bailouts and a massive budget deficit and the sum total of their suggestions on the economy is a bloody text tax! :mad:

[corkboy360]

It's a long time since I was on prepaid, but there used to be a minimum top up amount over a certain period. On my bill pay, I get free texts as part of my tariff, on which VAT is charged. I'm not really arsed, but this is just more bloody tinkering whilst Rome burns - they oversee stupid bank bailouts and a massive budget deficit and the sum total of their suggestions on the economy is a bloody text tax! :mad:
The annoying part is once there is a boom in the economy this will not be removed.

[Mr A]

Meh. There's lots of people who seem more intent on texting than the actual conversation they're involved in.

Slap it right up them I say.

[corkboy360]

Meh. There's lots of people who seem more intent on texting than the actual conversation they're involved in.

Slap it right up them I say.
No friends to text Billy no mates ? :p

[Macy]

No friends to text Billy no mates ? :p
He's too busy talking on tinternet forums...

[NeilMcD]

There could be a tax on posts on internet forums next.

[endabob1]

90M Euros to collect but how much to administer?

[Macy]

There could be a tax on posts on internet forums next.
Double taxation - I'm already taxed to be in work!

[Mayo Red]

I heard Mary Harney mention it was certainly something they could look into on RTE the other night.

Sure it wouldn't affect her at all, her fingers are probably too big to press the buttons anyways! :D

[corkboy360]

Sure it wouldn't affect her at all, her fingers are probably too big to press the buttons anyways! :D
Needed a good laugh after last night.:D

[First]

If they put a tax on the "Please call me" texts my brother will single handedly turn this recession around

[thischarmingman]

Sure it wouldn't affect her at all, her fingers are probably too big to press the buttons anyways! :D

"The fingers you have used to dial are too fat. To order a special dialing wand, please mash the key pad with your palm...now."


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