EU Wants Talks On Direct Taxation

[C. Flower]

Now that national budgets now have to be cleared by the EU first, it was only a matter of time before direct taxation was brought in..... Germany wants to cut its contributions and shift them on to an EU wide tax. Somehow I doubt that Germany wants to reduce its access to EU markets.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10912754



The European Commission wants EU member states to consider allowing it to levy direct taxes - a move that could ease the burden on national budgets.
The EU's Budget Commissioner, Janusz Lewandowski, said he would present some options next month for direct EU taxes.
Taxes on aviation, financial transactions and CO2 emission permits are all possibilities, he told the daily Financial Times Deutschland.
However, the UK promptly rejected the idea.
Historically, national governments levy taxes in the EU.
"I'm hearing from a number of capitals, including important ones like Berlin, that they would like to lower their contributions [to the EU]," Mr Lewandowski said.
The 27 EU member states pay a fixed contribution to the EU budget, based on their gross domestic product and a percentage of their sales tax (VAT).


This year Germany's transfer to the EU budget - the largest contribution - is about 21bn euros (£17.5bn).

Related stories


Leaders call for global bank tax (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10314743)
EU adopts bigger budget for 2010 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8418275.stm)
Spending the EU budget (http://www.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8036096.stm)

[TotalMayhem]

the most interesting bit can be found at the end of the article:


The EU's budget for this year is 122.9bn euros (£110bn). It is 6% bigger than the 2009 budget.

the member states slashing their budgets across the board but in Brussels the party is still going on as if nothing has happened.

[ang]

If Germany and France have decided this will happen then it can be considered a done deal no matter how much posturing we see to the contrary.

[concernedparent]

If Germany and France have decided this will happen then it can be considered a done deal no matter how much posturing we see to the contrary.

Yes a done deal it is.

We are only a poor little nation on the periphery of Europe, led by a crowd of clowns that have shown repeatedly that they are incompetent when it comes to running a country and the responsibilty it entails. ie fiscal management.

Still I suppose it gives the government another excuse to absolve themselves of any last vestiges of responsibility concerning the nation and its people.

They can now blame the taxes on the EU.

[TotalMayhem]

i love the expression, "Many countries want to be unburdened." ... how very thoughtful of the esteemed commissioner.

[Xray]

The EU is about to go into reverse, the Germany and French don't want to know anymore. Paying the likes of Ireland to grow sheep makes no sense now that we can't repay they banks any more.

[concernedparent]

I love the expression ".....including important ones like Berlin".

Well that just lets the rest of us dregs know where we stand.

[concernedparent]

The EU is about to go into reverse, the Germany and French don't want to know anymore. Paying the likes of Ireland to grow sheep makes no sense now that we can't repay they banks any more.

Could it be that we are starting to see the cracks grow.

Will it get to the stage that the likes of Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain will not seek to leave the EU and the Euro, but be pushed out of the big boys clubs.

Will we jump or will we be pushed.:rolleyes:

[Xray]

Could it be that we are starting to see the cracks grow.

Will it get to the stage that the likes of Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain will not seek to leave the EU and the Euro, but be pushed out of the big boys clubs.

Will we jump or will we be pushed.:rolleyes:

Its easy make you want to leave. Higher interest rates, removal of CAP and altered tax policy would do it. They only wanted us as a token ex Colony to make friends with Eastern Europe. We are past our useful shelf life now, an expensive, embarrassing and arrogant mistake.

[C. Flower]

Could it be that we are starting to see the cracks grow.

Will it get to the stage that the likes of Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain will not seek to leave the EU and the Euro, but be pushed out of the big boys clubs.

Will we jump or will we be pushed.:rolleyes:

As you say, push - require a budget we won't live with and charge taxes we can't pay.

[ang]

The EU is about to go into reverse, the Germany and French don't want to know anymore. Paying the likes of Ireland to grow sheep makes no sense now that we can't repay they banks any more.

Yes but the "direct tax" acts as a buffer incase of default;)

[concernedparent]

Its easy make you want to leave. Higher interest rates, removal of CAP and altered tax policy would do it. They only wanted us as a token ex Colony to make friends with Eastern Europe. We are past our useful shelf life now, an expensive, embarrassing and arrogant mistake.

And if we had any sort of government with a backbone instead of a wishbone in its body, they should have enough guts to tell the EU to take a running jump.:D

[Slim Buddha]

Revenge for McCreevy's hubris in telling the Germans how to run their economy. Christ, he really pissed them off big-time. Stupid bastard!!!

Payback time!!

[Slim Buddha]

And if we had any sort of government with a backbone instead of a wishbone in its body, they should have enough guts to tell the EU to take a running jump.:D

And the Germans will come back and say "We make the ******* rules now. Alone!!!! Now, small irritating country, piss off!!!!!!"


And they'd be right.

[C. Flower]

Revenge for McCreevy's hubris in telling the Germans how to run their economy. Christ, he really pissed them off big-time. Stupid bastard!!!

Payback time!!

Yes, Harney had some excruciating moments too, I recall very big winces.

[BrendanGalway]

First our Monetary Policy, then our Budgets, Now this. How to take over Nations without firing a shot.

[C. Flower]

First our Monetary Policy, then our Budgets, Now this. How to take over Nations without firing a shot.

Yes, it's extraordinary - history - and hardly noticed - RTE didn't even report it. The Daily Mail ran with it as their front page lead tomorrow, but they're a rogue paper.

[TotalMayhem]

RTÉ is distributing news on a need-to-know basis, and we don't need to know that the EU will relieve us from the burden of our sovereignty.

As the man said: "Many countries want to be unburdened." Amen.

[concernedparent]

RTÉ is distributing news on a need-to-know basis, and we don't need to know that the EU will relieve us from the burden of our sovereignty.

As the man said: "Many countries want to be unburdened." Amen.

Yes but what he really meant was that the powers that be want to be unburdened.

The ordinary Joe Soap on the street actually likes having a say on future government taxation policies at election time.