Tax on land lines.
By nannacroc
@nannacroc (4049)
September 24, 2009 9:34am CST
According to a programme on the radio this morning, from March next year the English government is going to impose a 50p a month tax on anyone with a land line. They say this is to make our internet access as good as they have in other countries. The telecommunications companies say they can't afford to make things better for more than 40% of people.
I will be cancelling my land line as soon as this is brought in and rely on the internet and a mobile phone for communication.
Do you think I will be the only person doing this?
I pay a monthly charge for my phone line and internet and the companies are making ridiculous amounts of profits, so why should we pay any tax to help them out?
Yet again, Britain is behind in the use of a British invention.
3 people like this
5 responses
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
24 Sep 09
I think that you will be one of a minority Nanna. Many of us will make a lot of noise about it but keep our landlines. Without them we can't access the internet at all - unless you pay squillions and go satellite (not Sky). This is another example of the Government taxing us for something irrespective of whether we have the internet or not. This effectively means that my Aunt, who lives in a care home but has a phone in her room, will have to pay a tax for something that she has never had nor at 91 is likely to have. I hope that this is one of the casualties of the Government spending cuts.
2 people like this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
25 Sep 09
I do have Virgin RieRie. I think that in the Government's eyes that will constitute a landline as it is physically connected to a fibre optic system. I suspect that you'll only get away with it if you have a satellite internet system - you'll need to live somewhere pretty remote to have that - and be rich!
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8539)
• United Kingdom
25 Sep 09
According to what I read, it said the tax will be on everyone with a landline phone, so that to me would mean that you would actually have to have the phone. Otherwise it would be like saying you had to have a tv license because you happened to have the means to use one even when you didn't have a tv.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Sep 09
Hi nannacroc, this does not make any sense to me at all. The government is not responsible for the internet so why on earth should they impose a tax on it, why not let the companies involved just add £6.oo a year to the bills. Do they really think that a tax once collected would be siphoned off for this purpose, if it could be and tax revenue thus be allocated on an individual basis then they have no right to pursue those who refuse to pay the full amount of tax when they object to something in principle which their tax money funds. Yet another loopey law and tax.
@nannacroc (4049)
•
24 Sep 09
It had me puzzled. Our government want everyone to have access to the internet for some reason. That seems to be taking priority over decent housing, schools and health care.
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8539)
• United Kingdom
25 Sep 09
We read about that and I said more or less the same thing as you i.e. people already pay bills for these things which includes VAT and now they want to add on another tax for a landline. The thing is, it doesn't even make sense. Adding the tax to the internet bill would make more sense if that's what it's for. I won't be affected by it anyway as I don't actually have a landline but I don't think you will be the only one giving up your landline. The only problem is that Virgin is currently the only provider who can provide internet access without a landline. That's ok up to a point but it would just mean a lack of choise for people.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
26 Sep 09
Well I hope this does not come in to effect, as I do not believe it is for that at all I think they are trying to get the money in to pay of all these Debts that Government has put Britain in they are trying to get money in that they have dwindled away and now of course it is the People of the Country that have to suffer
I mean how about a cut in wages on all the Government I am sure that would save a lot of money get them to drive their own Cars instead of being driven about and I am sure there is a lot more ways to save money without attacking the little People
