U2 - 1, 2, 3, 14

[CollegeTillIDie]

to be fair, that rumour is well known


to be honest, Andrea is just a pint sized woman who is disappointing to see in the flesh.

She's Irish which means she is either tiny or fat or ugly ..... according to Fiona Looney Andrea is tiny in this instance.

[Macy]

Do U2 take advantage of this artists tax advantage and pay virtually no tax?

The artist exemption only covers income from the records/publishing afaik. They're liable for tax on tours etc I think. Whether Paul McGuinness has taken advantage of the loopholes on development I don't know, but there's a misconception that just because your a musician you pay no tax on all your earnings.

btw I'd far rather "home" produced artists benefit, rather than the people that parachuted into Dublin/Killiney in the 80's and 90's for that reason only.

[Macy]

to be fair, that rumour is well known

Yeah, hardly in the premiership footballer is gay stakes...

to be honest, Andrea is just a pint sized woman who is disappointing to see in the flesh.

Totally agree, see her around here a bit and she wouldn't be the fittest that you'd see of a lunch time compared to the normal office girls on the street.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Pauro feel free to PM the details of the liason to all interested parties

[cullenswood]

It's more than rumour. A friend's fiancee lived in the apartment next to her and said he was over there morning noon and night, and that he was a nasty arrogant ***** who often left his car blocking in others or blasting music through the place...

Presume the "he" you are alledgedly talking about may or may not have worked advertising for a company that may or may not have something to do with hearing aids?

[Lionel Ritchie]

The artist exemption only covers income from the records/publishing afaik. They're liable for tax on tours etc I think. Whether Paul McGuinness has taken advantage of the loopholes on development I don't know, but there's a misconception that just because your a musician you pay no tax on all your earnings.

btw I'd far rather "home" produced artists benefit, rather than the people that parachuted into Dublin/Killiney in the 80's and 90's for that reason only.

That's about right Macy. The Artist Exemption scheme is about the only honourable thing that cnut haughey did. I'm not going to applaud the guy for doing what I believe to be fundamentally the correct thing to do -but i'll acknowledge he did it while others didn't when it was within their gift to do so.

U2 and any other musician have to pay tax on earnings from all live performances and merchandise, the only thing that they can claim artist exemption upon is publishing (btw artist exemption has to be claimed annually on a title by title basis).
So for example if they have a song used in a movie they can claim AE on the payment they recieve and/or ongoing royalty that they'd get for it. Artists are still liable to pay PRSI on ALL income - even income exempt from taxation.

U2s, The corrs and Enyas riches are regularly used as a stick with which to beat the Artist Exemption clause. I played in a band for a long time -doing all our own stuff -making our own records, making way less than no money while similtaneously mortgaging our twenties. We got one small payday when a small movie used one of our songs and gave us a few grand (>1,000 but <10,000).
I had to register as self employed to claim the AE on the payment and for several years thereafter I had revenue down on me like a ton of bricks. I was earning about 12,000-14,000 a year at the time between a FAS course and 3 hours a week VEC evening classes. they immediatley jumped me to 40% on the VEC classes and i've all but given up ever expecting to get it back off them. (i've since given up the VEC thing -pointless)

If a kid came up to me and asked should he apply for the AE -I genuinly don't know what i'd tell him. -but it is at the same time all that's there for people in the arts -performing ,visual, whatever.

BTW -the Corrs suck donkey balls and yer wan has fcukin' terrible terrible skin.

[liam88]

Okay, I'm overstating things maybe, but you cannot begin to imagine how much I hate the Corrs.

Certain club wearing green and white hoops springs up as a comparisson.......

[pete]

The artists exemption would be seen to be a lot lot fairer if capped at certain income figure even at say 1 million.

Sure those foreign artists parachuting in just pushes up the price of houses in Dalkey & Killiney so us original folks can't afford to live there...

[patsh]

Well the thing about the artists exemption is that it's a catch-all solution, which, ahem, Haughey must be given some credit for. It might seem unfair to some, when one sees the earnings of U2, for instance, but this is a tiny percentage of those entitled to the exemption, as there is a vast number of sculptors, playwrights, painters etc. who earn fairly meagre amounts of money, and if this was taxed, could probably not afford to do this work at all.It would help our league enormously if something similar could be introduced for players (not just eL, soccer).

[Peadar]

Actually, I like a lot of U2's stuff. I find them overbearing

A lot of people feel the same way about you and at least U2 have reason to be. Don't know what your excuse is.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Peadar, when it comes to pomposity, I am a mere student trotting along behind you...

Conor 74... He's from Cork... do the sums

[liam88]

A lot of people feel the same way about you and at least U2 have reason to be. Don't know what your excuse is.

Bono should run for PM over in in-gur-land after his speach at the LAbour conference got the BESt recpetion

[Macy]

It would help our league enormously if something similar could be introduced for players (not just eL, soccer).

Are you sure? Maybe in terms of players available, but certainly wouldn't improve the clubs lot financially - I think the PFAI's position on Nett Pay contracts would soon change and the wages paid would just go up to their current gross (i.e. no change for the clubs).

[Lionel Ritchie]

The artists exemption would be seen to be a lot lot fairer if capped at certain income figure even at say 1 million.

Sure those foreign artists parachuting in just pushes up the price of houses in Dalkey & Killiney so us original folks can't afford to live there...

A cap would strike me as reasonable and fair too Pete -though with even my limited knowledge of finance I could see a few ways round it. But it would certainly be worth a go. Artist exemption is designed to give artists a chance to flourish and develope at their art and then earn from it -It shouldn't neccessarily be a blank cheque or a free ride.

Though as I said from my own experience -it is quite heavily policed and there seems to be an erroneous presumption by revenue that if you're getting a cheque for X today ...sure someone else'll be giving you one tomorrow. Anyone else here who's ever played in a band'll know how laughable that is.

[Peadar]

He's from Cork... do the sums

Exactly!
There's an excuse for U2, there's an excuse for me but there's no excuse for Conor.

[dublinred]

U2 on Jonathan Woss tonite , they played 3 songs at the recording last night and gave a really good interview.

[pete]

If nothing else U2 can't be faulted for longevity. Thye have succeeded in somehow surviving without seeming to be turning out same dross every year.

Bonos crusades shouldn't be confused with the rest of the band as afaik they have nothing to do with it.

[BrayUnknowns]

If nothing else U2 can't be faulted for longevity. Thye have succeeded in somehow surviving without seeming to be turning out same dross every year.

Bonos crusades shouldn't be confused with the rest of the band as afaik they have nothing to do with it.

Spot on !