Eddie Hobbs’ last episode of Rip Off Republic aired tonight and while it wasn’t as focued as earlier ones on consumer rip offs, it covered ground that we should all be familiar with: taxes. Eddie revealed that the average tax payer over-pays his tax by 700 Euro a year! Many people may not know that they can claim tax relief on their waste disposal charges. Did you? Here’s a page courtesy of Fine Gael giving summaries on medical, dental, rent and refuse expenses and tax relief. Damien has a few more links, including links to further discussion about Mr. Hobbs.
Eddie is generally correct in his characterisation of rip-off ireland. There are cartels being operated by professions and the government will not tackle them.
How exactly is it the Government’s fault that people don’t bother to check what their entitlements are with regard to taxation.
It’s not Government’s fault, but they don’t make it very easy to check either!
Seriously Donncha how much easier to check your entitlements could it be. If you go to Revenue.ie there’s stacks of info there similarly on Oasis.gov.ie
Personally when I started my job HR told us to check up our entitlements but I know that everyone who started with me hasn’t bothered to get the rental allowance they are entitled to. It’s not because it’s difficult it’s because they’re lazy about it.
I can’t see how the Government could make it any easier to allow people to get their entitlements. As far as I can see all they could do more is actually ring people up and ask them were they doing any of the following and then give them the tax relief. Of course that would cost millions. I don’t want my taxes wasted like that.
If people are too lazy to shop around or too lazy to claim what tax relief they are entitled to they deserve to be ‘ripped off’
‘K, I knew about all my entitlements. I looked them up. I found out about claiming tax back on refuse costs, that PRSI will pay for some of my dental bills (but not always).
Without education the “lazy” Irish population won’t know what they can claim on. At least Eddie has got people talking, in way that Fine Gael(their “rip off Ireland” website, AA Road Watch (price of petrol, NRA, tolls..), and consumer organisations(groceries order, everything else) never could!
I wouldn’t be so quick to call people lazy. Sure, some people have all the advantages of a middle-class education and access to computers, but thousands don’t. I’m willing to bet that not of all my computer literate friends have visited oasis.gov.ie or revenue.ie, never mind those that have rarely even browsed the ‘net!
The Government managed to bring in a 40 Euro tax on credit cards and banks were able to implement the collection of those charge within months. Why can’t tax reliefs be similarly “automagically” turned on when they’re available?
I suppose the simple answer would be that the banks already have a huge electronic system for billing etc., whereas there isn’t really a network of doctors with a unified billing system. Also think of the huge privacy implications personally I wouldn’t like all the information on when and where I went to the doctor/dentist automatically available to people without my permission.
So then you’re in a situation where people would need to request have entitlements automatically applied and then you’re in a situation where people have to do something themselves and the laziness factor comes into play again.
But in fairness maybe I’m missing something completely about how it could be easier! I’m gonna try and contact FG and ask them how they would make it easier since they accuse the Government of not making it easier.
I’ll report back!
Just letting you know that so far I’ve contacted Peter Kelly my local FGer and he has mailed back to me but it’s less than clear what they’d do so I’m going to forward my query to Richard Bruton who’s address Peter Kelly gave me.
In the meantime I found out that all the rates etc are on Aertel Page 451 which means we’re getting well up towards 100% of the population with instant access to the information.
Totally agree with what Eddie and what he is doing. He has brought issues that were in the background, out into the open..and the public don’t forget when things like this come up..Now is the time for action I guess..Didn’t like FF’s reaction agreeing with ROR and what it has done. There are plenty of groups, RGData and The Pubs Group, that have lobby groups in Government..hence having their way..
ds
I was shocked to discover that my hard earned taxes are being used to subsidise the export each year of around 200,000 live cattle, from the European Union to the Middle East. The animals suffer stressful sea journeys lasting over ten days, only to be slaughtered in horrendous
conditions, with their throats cut while still fully conscious.
On average 175 euros (around £120) is paid for each animal exported, not to the farmer who has reared them, but to the dealer who exports them. The dealers profit from this trade because the EU subsidises it – using 60 million euros a year (over £41 million) from our taxes.
The farm animal welfare organisation Compassion in World Farming will be supporting World Farm Animals Day on 2nd October. Their central theme this year will be the \’Stop The Bull Ship Campaign\’, which focuses on
these
subsidised live exports. Visit http://www.ciwf.org
for more information or telephone 01730 264 208.
It is an utter scandal that British and other EU taxpayers are unwittingly subsidising such an abhorrent trade. Instead we should be supporting small farmers, promoting the welfare of animals and working towards a trade
in meat – not live animals.
i want to post a complaint about a cafe/club/pub in Store St. in Dublin called Isaac Butts/Radio City. I am president of the Ballsbridge college students union and we organised an event in the location mentioned above. We paid a e200 deposit and were told it was 100% refundable unless we cancelled the event. We were also told that drinks would be reduced to e3.50 at 11.00pm and that a d.j with a good mix of music would stsrt at approx 11.30pm. The drinks didnt go down in price until 12am and the d.j. started half an hour later and played music never heard by anyone at the event. This party took place mid January and it took me until Monday 24th April to get in touch with a manager through phone calls and going to the club aswell. I was then informed the deposit was non refundable. This money is the colleges money not mine or any of the other students. I now have 3 days to raise e200 to replace for next years student union. I want to name and shame this “business” and prevent any other college or establishment from being conned out of their money. The PR manager i initially dealt with has since left and when i contacted him he assured me that he was told the deposit was 100% refundable. This was a misunderstanding between the club manager and his pr manager not me and the establishment. I am entitled to that money back so i can replace it in the college funds. If you could please post this as a warning and another symbol of a rip off cheating part of the irish economy i would greatly appreciate it. Feel free to e-mail me with any queries.
thank you,
Julie WIlton