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THE LEADERS OF the three coalition parties are set to meet today as the final touches are put to tomorrow’s Budget.
Paschal Donohoe’s fourth Budget as Finance Minister will be dominated by the country’s response to Covid-19, with some €9 billion of spending next year related to the pandemic.
The government has previously said that the Budget is being prepared on the basis that there will be no UK-EU trade deal and no widely available Covid-19 vaccine programme in the first half of 2021.
Donohoe will be joined in presenting the Budget by Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath, who last week brought a memo on expenditure strategy to Cabinet.
The Cabinet last week approved the drawdown of €1.5 billion from the State’s ‘rainy day’ fund for tomorrow’s Budget.
Among the measures expected in Budget 2021 are support packages for businesses that have been shut or curtailed as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.
For example, live music venues will be able to apply for a minimum of €10,000 under a new scheme, according to government sources.
Earlier today, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland released research which estimated that more than a fifth of pubs in Ireland have continuing costs of up to €2,000 a week despite being closed.
Green initiates are set to feature in tomorrow’s Budget, with funds for new or extended home retrofitting schemes and an increase in carbon tax.
There will be no increase in income taxes in the Budget, Donohoe has said.
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Time to start levying taxes on the Betting industry. It is a social ill that should have been subject to tax long ago. The Horse lobby no doubt has the politicians in a bind over this issue.
@LangerDan: Is there not a betting tax already?
@LangerDan: There is taxes levied on the Betting Industry… The Bookmaker is levied for 1% and it is 2% for online betting.
It is also a large employer , where people pay taxes on their earnings.
@Paul Buckley: Winnings should be taxed. Gambling addictions cost the State a fortune through addiction services not a mind the damage it does to families. Having a tax on winnings could pay for this and go some way to acting as a barrier to entry for people betting more than they can afford.
@LangerDan: that is a silly argument. The Bookmaker passes on the tax.
The majority of people enjoy a bet. A responsible bet. It is like paying extra tax on drink because Mickey Joe that’s knocking back the bottle of Jameson at the end of the bar next week will be St. JOHN of Gods. Well that is not my problem or yours.
You sure do live up to your name.
@LangerDan: would be interested to see the figures lockdown had on gambling, it’s sick that a person can gamble 24/7 from the comfort of their bed
@LangerDan: If they tax on winnings could I claim tax back on my my losses.
@LangerDan: there was 10% in shop years ago Bertie got rid of it.
@Mary Nugent: it is now 1% over the counter the bookmaker decides not to pass it on to the customer. The Tax is still there only reduced.
It is 2 % online , I do not bet online so I do not know if it is passed onto the customer.
But the tax is still there. The government gets 1% over the counter & 2 % online.
@Paul Buckley: It was 20% pre 1986. It should go back to that.
@LangerDan: that’s not going to stop a Gambling Addict if they want to spend a 100 euro on a bet they still will… You are only taking more off the an average guy to go into the Goverment coffers.
Why punish the majority over the actions of a few ?
@Paul Buckley: It’s not punishment. It’s about paying a fair tax. 1% tax is extremely low. All other sorts of entertainment or hobbies carry much higher VAT rates for example.
@LangerDan: I think people pay enough tax on their hard earned money. You have switched your tune from being sympathetic to Gambling Addiccts to increasing Taxes to average joe.
Very convoluted reasons you have.
@Paul Buckley: Increased taxes are coming one way or the other. I’d rather a higher gambling tax than increasing income tax for example. Gambling has horrific consequences for society. If hiking gambling taxes improves outcomes for addicts, that is great.
@LangerDan: well you are some Langer Dan :)) Everyonr pays enough taxes. I have never heard of a guy that wants to pay more. I don’t drive but I do not ask for the tax on Diseal or Petrol to go up. I bet you dont bet. Best thing now is if you think you are not paying enough taxes make a donation to poor box or something.
@Paul Buckley: I don’t want to pay more taxes. But more taxes are coming to pay for Covid. I say start with the gambling industry.
@LangerDan: I say take it out my wages and call it a Covid tax or just increase tax to pay for the Covid Bill , but dont mask tax in an other industry… just call it for what it is…. I’m not replying anymore you made your point , I’ve made mine.
@LangerDan: no it shouldn’t.
Can’t wait to see the impact that the Green party have on the budget. We will all be wearing hemp clothing and cycling and walking everywhere in the new green party utopia.
@Celtic Spirit: yea and on a vegan diet
@Celtic Spirit: The Greens in brackets and not in photo
@Celtic Spirit: Sounds like a better option that the current sh!tshow. Cycling and walking everywhere sounds great and will help the fight against obesity.
Following Lord Leo’s tweet yesterday about those pesky shinners having the audacity to tax multinationals, Mehole Martin will make sure any tax rises will continue to be paid by the ‘little people’.
Higher bills, Petrol, diesel. Hit the average working family?
Spain borrows 140 Billion of which 72 of that is in the form of grants so won’t have to be repayed. They will use that for recovery, create jobs and to narrow the gaps in social justice…. Pascals big plan is to raid our 1.6 billion rainy day fund and keep borrowing low to look good to the watching EU. All the while the likes of apple pay peanuts in tax every year.
Retrofitting your home….great, if you have access to tens of thousands. Now you can claim some of it back. Christ.
Pensioners forgotten about again, no increase last budget and no increase this one, unless you live alone.
@Paul Power: so there is an increase for pensioners then
@Paul Power: How do you know that?
@Dublin days:only some, not all
@Carol Oates: plenty of leaks in this government.
@Paul Power: That’s really sad if it’s true. Goes to show people looking at multi massive pension futures are clueless about what it means to live on a low fixed income in the society.
@Carol Oates: it’s been well flagged as they say.
Two pensioners are not too badly off in Ireland about € 500 per week for the contributory state pension. Single pensioners would struggle given they would have similar costs to two people so prioritising those that live alone, while not ideal is better than nothing.
@Reg: Not all single pensioners live alone. Sure they have someone to share rising bills with but their disposable income is going down as inflation rises.
@Reg: what did their manifestos say.
Well have a new green tax for shour, then there’s six months of wages for everyone in the country that we have to pay back. So the poor sod who works and drives a car is going to have to pay for it.
Lucky the shinners are not in charge because everyone who works would get big tax hike and the people on the dole long term who just live off the state would be happy as there money will be dubbed.
@Heisen berg1: what accent would be used for the dubbing?
@Heisen berg1: You seem to have no problem in paying USC which is a tax to repay for the gangsterism of the banks and developers facilitated by politicians who brought this country to it’s knees.
@Heisen berg1: I’m curious as to what party allows the long term unemployed “just live of the state”? Don’t forget to answer now.
@Heisen berg1: I emigrated just in time before the 3 ring circus of a Gov does exactly what you claim SF might do, this Gov will do the same with stealth taxes, increased levies and and charges as they done with Austerity, it was FG who brought in the USC and allowed it to continue.. USC was a big tax hike pal. No off with your self and your theorising as there no need to speculate, last 10 yrs of history is there for all to see what FG do in power.
@Da_Dell: FF brought in the USC, FG allowed it to continue.
@Donal Desmond: Remember U.S.C the temporary tax…..ah I almost forgot we are still PAYING the damn thing.
Workers have been paying tax of more than 50% (20%, 40%, USC) under FG-FF. That’s capitalism.
Corporations pay 12.5% tax, or 0% tax (if their ‘business expenses’ are too high).
@Dean: …..and who pays the workers?
@Dean: we’re a capitalist country…..whats your point?
@Hector Son: Who makes profits for businesses? Workers.
@Kev Devereux: My point is capitalism taxes workers (up to 50%) while businesses can pay 0% tax.
As hotel heiress Leona Helmsley said: “We don’t pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes”.
As billionaire president 750 (Trump) highlighted, businesses & the wealthy can pay 0% tax for 10 years.
@Hector Son: Who pays the Politicians and the Civil Servants ?
@Da_Dell: Big companies as well as us..
@Dean: no profits, no business. No business no pay. You seem to be anti business, the very thing that keeps the whole kat and kaboodle together.
@Da_Dell: the exchequor. What’s your point? Do you have one?
@MickN: Mostly us though Mick .. My new Income tax rate is 17% up to 150K here in Zurich. That being said I have no issue paying Income tax, my issue in Ireland is how its wasted on things like overpaid politicians and the upper echelons of the civil service and the likes of Irish Water, Poolbeg Incinerator, the NCH debacle etc.
@Hector Son: Pot & Kettle with you, All you every state is how wonderful Leo and FG are and how bad all the rest are . Where does the exchequer get its money from eh !! …
@Da_Dell: Various sources. Companies creat jobs, which results in employees paying taxes. Those employees buy goods and services…more taxes paid. Those companies pay corporation tax. All these various taxes are collected.
@Sal Paradise: OMG you have really figured it out haven’t you …
Imagine Companies paying their fair share for the services they consume … Imagine if all those were employed by an Irish Companies paying their proper corporation tax rates !!
How can an Irish Company compete with those that pay very little in Corporation Tax ?
@Da_Dell: You asked a question so I answered for you. A simple thank you will suffice.
The 3 biggest jokers in this country.
How best to screw the ordinary tax payer!
Great to see Green voters being shafted by the party they voted for.
@ChronicAnxiety: Why is that great to see? Whomever you voted for you will get shafted!
We should just give all our wages to the government and they provide all the food housing and healthcare… Has anywhere tried this before
What’s the point of putting on a fact based comment using CSO stats,OECD stated facts,and other factual information in the public domain when it’s going to be censored and deleted!??
That goes for comments from other people I mightn’t agree with but whose comments shouldn’t have been deleted either!!I think 11 comments deleted including 1 of mine!
@Nuala Mc Namara: They are censoring like goodo today…and not just on this thread. Some Journal employee has the Monday blues:):)
This government to embarrassing get them out
Here we go
“First”.. The use of that word in the context of FF/FG completely negates the credence of the article below such a headline
Whether you’re view on the current situation is ‘Level 5 now!’, ‘it’s just a flu’ or something more sensible in between, this one is surely a no-brainer?
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