DONEGAL Action Against Austerity has vowed to step up its campaign against property taxes after the Government said tenants of rented properties will have to pay the new charge from July.
The Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2013 includes amendments to the Local Property Tax And the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has published the Finance Bill, which gives effect to the measures announced in December’s budget.
Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty has also condemned the measure
“We are calling on all council tenants to join the campaign by contacting Donegal Action Against Austerity on 086 8480254,” a spokesman told Donegal Daily.
“Properties owned by local authorities and approved housing bodies will be deemed to be valued in the lowest valuation band for the first valuation period only (2013-2016) and valued in a similar manner to other properties thereafter.
“We are asking all groups and members of the public to join us on our protest at the council offices in Lifford on Monday 25th at 10am.
“We will be protesting against the the property tax septic tanks and water charges and this is the first in a series of local and national protests that will bring it home to government politicians in this county that we will not allow business as normal while they attack us in this way.”
Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty has said the publication of the Finance Bill and Property Tax 2013 Bill show that the age of austerity is still with us.
Deputy Doherty said: “Taken together today’s two Bills show that 2013 will be another year of tough austerity for the great majority.
“The minor tweaks to the Family Home Tax do not make it any fairer or any more practicable.
“Sinn Féin will soon table a Repeal Bill to scrap this unfair tax.
“We have outlined our alternative in the form of a wealth tax similar to the one in operation in France. Our alternative would not limit itself to family homes but to all assets except working farmland over €1 million so that those who can afford to pay more do so.
“We will campaign vigorously, in Leinster House and in our communities, to bring an end to this tax before it sees the light of day.
“The Finance Bill does not make any serious changes to the vicious government budget of last December.
“This year’s that Budget will take another €3.5 billion from the economy, in the main from frontline public service cuts and taxes on those who can least afford them. The Finance Bill 2013 will legislate for the increases in indirect taxes such as VRT, carbon tax and excise duty; will tax maternity and adoption benefits; and allow for less tax relief for student fees and charitable donations.
“In such a lengthy bill, there are some positive measures but they do not go far enough, such as increasing the tax on CGT and CAT. But essentially this bill is noticeable for what it is missing – a wealth tax, the failure to standardise tax reliefs, to properly tax large private pensions and to introduce a third rate of tax for high earners.
“Taken together it is clear that the government has set its course to make 2013 another year where low and middle income earners will shoulder the costs of austerity.”
********
Sure I saw that first on…..Donegaldaily.com – Donegal’s No1 News & Sports Website – more than 30,000 Visitors Every Day, more than 100,000 Page Views
Follow the leader on:
https://twitter.com/DonegalDaily
Tags: