ACRA statement on property Tax

national | consumer issues | press release Friday July 18, 2008 14:49 by Malachy Steenson - ACRA malachysteenson at yahoo dot com

ACRA had today stated that it will be opposed to any attempt to bring back Rates by a property Tax. They reiterated their demand for no taxes on a prinicipal family residence

ERSI PROPOSALS ON PROPERTY TAX

The latest proposal from the ESRI that a property tax is levied on all properties will be totally resisted by ACRA. This demand follows on from the demand to reduce the minimum wage by business leaders.

It is clear to us that those who have benefited the most from the profits of the past number of years should bear the costs now.

There can be no equation between Stamp Duty, (which we want abolished on a principal residence) which is discretionary on behalf of taxpayers in that a liability only comes if you decide to buy a house and a tax which will be levied on all properties. This is rates by the back door.

If the Government was serious about dealing with the economic situation they would immediately do the following:-

· introduce a windfall tax
· Increase income tax to 60% on incomes over €80,000
· Use those builders who are now unemployed to build the schools and hospitals which were not built during the Celtic Tiger
· Introduce a specific tax rate of 75% on incomes earned at the Tribunals
· Refuse to pay exorbitant legal costs to witnesses at the tribunal (Denis O’Brien’ bill is expected to be between €7m & €10M.
· Remove VAT from utility bills
· Introduce price control on basic food items, bread has increase by 28% and milk by 16% this year and on gas, electricity and home heating oil.

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Malachy Steenson LLB, LLM
General Secretary

ORDINARY WORKING CLASS PEOPLE WILL NOT PAY THE PRICE FOR GOVERNMENT FAILURE