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grahame
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« on: January 12, 2019, 07:46:45 » |
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From The BBC» A tourist tax could be imposed on visitors to some of the UK▸ 's leading destinations if cash-strapped councils get their way.
Bath wants the power to impose a £1-per-night charge to allow the authority to "put the icing back on the cake" after years of financial restraints.
The Scottish Highlands and Aberdeen are among others considering a levy.
But industry figures have warned the proposals could hit the wider tourism industry hard. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2019, 09:21:40 » |
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From The BBC» A tourist tax could be imposed on visitors to some of the UK▸ 's leading destinations if cash-strapped councils get their way.
Bath wants the power to impose a £1-per-night charge to allow the authority to "put the icing back on the cake" after years of financial restraints.
The Scottish Highlands and Aberdeen are among others considering a levy.
But industry figures have warned the proposals could hit the wider tourism industry hard. Ridiculous idea - why is taxing everyone/everything the default response in this country?  |
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grahame
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« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2019, 09:49:58 » |
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From The BBC» A tourist tax could be imposed on visitors to some of the UK▸ 's leading destinations if cash-strapped councils get their way.
Bath wants the power to impose a £1-per-night charge to allow the authority to "put the icing back on the cake" after years of financial restraints.
The Scottish Highlands and Aberdeen are among others considering a levy.
But industry figures have warned the proposals could hit the wider tourism industry hard. Ridiculous idea - why is taxing everyone/everything the default response in this country? Wellll ... USA sales and accommodation tax is common place on top of quoted rates, though a few states do not charge it. http://www.ncsl.org/research/fiscal-policy/state-lodging-taxes.aspxOf course, if Theresa May wants to fund a wall between Dover and Calais to stop people crossing the channel in small, unofficial boats and putting themselves in danger, she might suggest one on a national basis. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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rogerw
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« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2019, 09:57:27 » |
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A tourist tax is applied on Mallorca. When I went last June it was certainly more than the equivalent of £1 per night although I can't remember the exact figure
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I like to travel. It lets me feel I'm getting somewhere.
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martyjon
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« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2019, 10:11:32 » |
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A tourist tax is applied on Mallorca. When I went last June it was certainly more than the equivalent of £1 per night although I can't remember the exact figure
Rome had one too when I visited there and it too was more than a £ a night. |
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Dispatch Box
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« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2019, 11:29:22 » |
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I think we pay enough tax as it is, Should wait and see what Brexit brings. The government may find they have more money and then can fund councils properly.
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Red Squirrel
Administrator
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Posts: 5207
There are some who call me... Tim
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« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2019, 12:26:39 » |
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Ridiculous idea - why is taxing everyone/everything the default response in this country? Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilised society. |
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Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
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stuving
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« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2019, 13:15:29 » |
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Are we (or Bath, or anyone else) talking about taxing tourists, or visitors?
That vexatious little addition to hotel and other accommodation rates (since 1910), the French taxe de séjour has (and this is going to amaze you) loads of administrative rules, and they are all worded in terms of tourists and tourism. It has to be used to support and promote tourism, usually going into the tourist office's budget. But there are only a few cases where a distinction is made between tourists (who pay) and non-tourists, notably for rentals (and holiday lets are legally distinct here too) or for some seasonal workers in tourism. It always gets added to your hotel bill, even in places (e.g. around Paris) where you'd have thought tourists were a small minority of hotel guests.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2019, 13:20:23 » |
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Ridiculous idea - why is taxing everyone/everything the default response in this country? Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilised society. I think it's a little more sophisticated than that, as are the benefits of tax, and the costs - of collecting and administering it, as well as the consequences of introducing it, but I'd be intrigued to hear how you feel that civilised society in Bath is currently sufficiently imperilled to justify this particular tax? |
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Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
Posts: 5207
There are some who call me... Tim
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« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2019, 13:56:21 » |
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Ridiculous idea - why is taxing everyone/everything the default response in this country? Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilised society. I think it's a little more sophisticated than that, as are the benefits of tax, and the costs - of collecting and administering it, as well as the consequences of introducing it, but I'd be intrigued to hear how you feel that civilised society in Bath is currently sufficiently imperilled to justify this particular tax? I don't suppose things are worse in Bath than elsewhere, but I thought you'd broadened it out into a more general question about tax. As to civilised society in Bath: to paraphrase Gandhi, I think that would be a good idea.  Jolly quips aside, I accept that the whole question of tax and spending is not straightforward. I do however find it hard to understand why people's unwillingness to pay the price of living in a civilised society has made it impossible for politicians of any stripe to raise general taxation to a point where public services can be properly funded. |
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Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2019, 15:10:52 » |
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Bath is lucky to be in the situation where it has significant numbers of tourists to tax. Less fortunate places will have to make do with raising council taxes and business rates.
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Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #11 on: January 12, 2019, 20:47:41 » |
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Ridiculous idea - why is taxing everyone/everything the default response in this country? Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilised society. I think it's a little more sophisticated than that, as are the benefits of tax, and the costs - of collecting and administering it, as well as the consequences of introducing it, but I'd be intrigued to hear how you feel that civilised society in Bath is currently sufficiently imperilled to justify this particular tax? I don't suppose things are worse in Bath than elsewhere, but I thought you'd broadened it out into a more general question about tax. As to civilised society in Bath: to paraphrase Gandhi, I think that would be a good idea. Jolly quips aside, I accept that the whole question of tax and spending is not straightforward. I do however find it hard to understand why people's unwillingness to pay the price of living in a civilised society has made it impossible for politicians of any stripe to raise general taxation to a point where public services can be properly funded. People aren't unwilling to pay tax - most have no choice anyway - personal tax revenues rise year on year, and lower taxes stimulate economic growth - Corporation tax receipts have increased, despite rates steadily falling. You might find the concept of Laffer curves interesting. It's more a question of Government spending decisions than the revenue they have available which is the issue. |
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2019, 21:10:09 » |
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People are unwilling to pay tax in the sense that it's incredibly rare for them to vote for higher taxes in return for better services.
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Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2019, 21:17:23 » |
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People are unwilling to pay tax in the sense that it's incredibly rare for them to vote for higher taxes in return for better services.
Please try to understand, it's tax revenue that matters, higher tax rates do not necessarily lead to the same thing -as I pointed out, Corporation tax revenue has increased hugely despite rates being lower. Ultimately its how the Government decides to spend this revenue that determines how and which services are "better". |
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« Last Edit: January 12, 2019, 21:24:21 by TaplowGreen »
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ellendune
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« Reply #14 on: January 12, 2019, 21:35:30 » |
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People are unwilling to pay tax in the sense that it's incredibly rare for them to vote for higher taxes in return for better services.
Please try to understand, it's tax revenue that matters, higher tax rates do not necessarily lead to the same thing -as I pointed out, Corporation tax revenue has increased hugely despite rates being lower. Ultimately its how the Government decides to spend this revenue that determines how and which services are "better". Yes but we don't have the services that we once had when tax rates were higher. Also the idea of a government winning an election of a manifesto of raising taxes has been considered laughable for a generation. Sorry if we want public services we are going to have to pay more tax. There is no magic money tree (except of course when Mrs May needs to buy off the DUP). |
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