My local session pub ( in Co. Wexford) was visited yesterday by two revenue officials after seeing a poster in the window for weekly trad session. They wanted to know the names and address of the musicians and how much they were being paid.Beware we are being watched.
flog instruments on ebay??
No. What they will do is knock on your door and tell you that they deem you to have earned xx dollars/euros/etc, and you owe x amount of tax. It's up to you to prove otherwise. They know you probably can't.
it's always really scary seeing what happens to ordinary people through the tax system in countries that don't have a lot of natural resources. Here, the government has a good earner in the mining industries, so they're always after those guys. in the old dart and Ireland they seem to go after ordinary joes simply because there's no one else to go after. A pint will end up costing 100 euro soon enough I suppose. Oh well, at least the government people will be able to afford it.
Seems to me that the publican let it slip - or someone with a grudge against either the players or the publican mentioned - to the tax men that money was changing hands. Just deny it - they need proof. Don't give them any. Enda story.
Wait, they're trying to tax musicians at a session? Is this an open session that earns no money? How do they expect to get revenue that way? I have a feeling the tax men's salary is far more than anything they could generate that way. What a load of crap.
They can ask names and addresses. Doesn't follow that answers should be given. Followed by 'What? People get paid for this? I thought we were playing so we wouldn't have to talk to each other...'
They're not up to scratch if they don't know their names and addresses already. I thought Ireland was a place where everyone knows everybody else and what they had for breakfast.
If this is not the case, an illusion of mine will be shattered.
I wonder would they ask the same question of the singers at a karaoke bar?
The darts players ?
Somebody telling jokes?
These are also doing something in the pub for fun that might happen, unintentionally, to entertain others. Things that are sometimes professional, but not in this case.
Maybe there's a cash prize for the darts or karaoke.
Nicholas, of course they probably know the names and addresses already . It's when they get bad info back from the questionee that they know it's time to up the action seriously. Same with the police - in any country. Also with lawyers in court - Rule 1: never ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to.
Oh yeah we had a problem like that about 200 years ago in lil' old America, just rally a bunch of farmers with pitch forks and run em' off.
I love beig able to say that. Really though, the Brtish still do have a few things on us Americans, like those damn sexy accents!
If we treated the tax collectors the way they did in olden days in Amerikay they'ed be afraid to come collecting. Ahhh for the good old days of whiskey and rebellion......Trillions aren't enough for 'm today, the rat bastards. Tar and feather every last one of 'em!!!
I used to work for the UK version. I had an unwritten rule "Musos don't pay tax" - this was fun enforcing! Many of my pupils have passed on the tips to others.
Won't they have great craic going round all the Fleadheanna to try to catch all the dozens @ the various large & small sessions around them, & what about all the house sessions, sure look @ the big money changing hands there too.
Was that not an over officious Git trying to pretend that he represented government . No names & the publican say that he didn't invite them, but many of them being customers from time to time, throwing them out would mean asking his supporter ...... off. & expecting them to return the next night night for a pint or ?. Less drink sold, less revenue for the "bright " inspectors' bosses
Good enough for ye hoors. It's time the taxman got ye!! Getting paid under the counter and the poor singers and bodhrán players getting feck all. That'll larn ye.
taxman on our heels
taxman on our heels
My local session pub ( in Co. Wexford) was visited yesterday by two revenue officials after seeing a poster in the window for weekly trad session. They wanted to know the names and address of the musicians and how much they were being paid.Beware we are being watched.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by joyce1
Re: taxman on our heels
Nothing like the Irish government encouraging live music, eh?
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: taxman on our heels
It's got feck-all to do with them, surely?
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by gam
Re: taxman on our heels
it's the recession, they need money to pay the public servants. Do you not know that yet?
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
Easy solution. Eliminate their jobs. Useless anyway, if all they have to do is ride around bothering musicians and publicans.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: taxman on our heels
I'm worried that he might take our instruments and flog them on ebay to raise revenue.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by joyce1
Re: taxman on our heels
eliminate public service jobs??! Who can do that.
Hardest gig in the world.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
flog instruments on ebay??
No. What they will do is knock on your door and tell you that they deem you to have earned xx dollars/euros/etc, and you owe x amount of tax. It's up to you to prove otherwise. They know you probably can't.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
best to adopt a disguise - they'll never get you: http://barrysmith.files.wordpress.com/2006/06/Darth_fiddler.JPG
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by RichardB
Re: taxman on our heels
he works in the tax revenue department as a day job. Smart guy.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
Yea Richard , I might even dress up as a revenue collector on the fiddle.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by joyce1
Re: taxman on our heels
i'd like to know what happened to all the communists after the fall of communism.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
This song sums it up quite well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWAl5V-SiKQ
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: taxman on our heels
gee, they would've got hit bad after recording that.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
I believe that they did!
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: taxman on our heels
The taxman is trying to finish what the 1935 public dance halls act started out to do.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by joyce1
Re: taxman on our heels
Tell the revenuers it's just a "Tea Party."
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Dzia Dzia
Re: taxman on our heels
have no money, they think you're on their side then.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
I hope you declared those tea and biscuits Mr Joyce...
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Dragut Reis
Re: taxman on our heels
I think you partook in the tea also Dragut, so you are also in their sights.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by joyce1
Re: taxman on our heels
it's always really scary seeing what happens to ordinary people through the tax system in countries that don't have a lot of natural resources. Here, the government has a good earner in the mining industries, so they're always after those guys. in the old dart and Ireland they seem to go after ordinary joes simply because there's no one else to go after. A pint will end up costing 100 euro soon enough I suppose. Oh well, at least the government people will be able to afford it.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
Seems to me that the publican let it slip - or someone with a grudge against either the players or the publican mentioned - to the tax men that money was changing hands. Just deny it - they need proof. Don't give them any. Enda story.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Rudall the time
Re: taxman on our heels
they don't need proof, they deem it - they tell you what you've earned.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
Is it OK to ask the revenue people how much THEY are getting paid?
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Mark Harmer
Re: taxman on our heels
Wait, they're trying to tax musicians at a session? Is this an open session that earns no money? How do they expect to get revenue that way? I have a feeling the tax men's salary is far more than anything they could generate that way. What a load of crap.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Jimmy B
Re: taxman on our heels
"Is it OK to ask the revenue people how much THEY are getting paid?"
Yes, but you receive a tax audit for being a smarta*s.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
...and then you will be sent to a gulag for re-education and an attitude adjustment.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: taxman on our heels
They can ask names and addresses. Doesn't follow that answers should be given. Followed by 'What? People get paid for this? I thought we were playing so we wouldn't have to talk to each other...'
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by EnDaC
Re: taxman on our heels
They're not up to scratch if they don't know their names and addresses already. I thought Ireland was a place where everyone knows everybody else and what they had for breakfast.
If this is not the case, an illusion of mine will be shattered.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by nicholas
Re: taxman on our heels
I wonder would they ask the same question of the singers at a karaoke bar?
The darts players ?
Somebody telling jokes?
These are also doing something in the pub for fun that might happen, unintentionally, to entertain others. Things that are sometimes professional, but not in this case.
Maybe there's a cash prize for the darts or karaoke.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Bren
Re: taxman on our heels
Nicholas, of course they probably know the names and addresses already
. It's when they get bad info back from the questionee that they know it's time to up the action seriously. Same with the police - in any country. Also with lawyers in court - Rule 1: never ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to.
# Posted on June 18th 2010 by Trevor Jennings
Re: taxman on our heels
Oh yeah we had a problem like that about 200 years ago in lil' old America, just rally a bunch of farmers with pitch forks and run em' off.
I love beig able to say that. Really though, the Brtish still do have a few things on us Americans, like those damn sexy accents!
# Posted on June 19th 2010 by Jwalkert
Re: taxman on our heels
Being.
# Posted on June 19th 2010 by Jwalkert
Re: taxman on our heels
If we treated the tax collectors the way they did in olden days in Amerikay they'ed be afraid to come collecting. Ahhh for the good old days of whiskey and rebellion......Trillions aren't enough for 'm today, the rat bastards. Tar and feather every last one of 'em!!!
# Posted on June 19th 2010 by shanty
Re: taxman on our heels
How about giving them names of characters in Python sketches?
I'll start:
Wenslydale
# Posted on June 19th 2010 by Toppish
Re: taxman on our heels
How about little fanny pooh.
# Posted on June 19th 2010 by Jwalkert
Re: taxman on our heels
Typical. all the bloody tax evaders and general crooks and they'd rather go after a few people who aren't necessarily even being payed.
# Posted on June 20th 2010 by FergalOH
Re: taxman on our heels
I used to work for the UK version. I had an unwritten rule "Musos don't pay tax" - this was fun enforcing! Many of my pupils have passed on the tips to others.
# Posted on June 20th 2010 by Ebor_fiddler
Re: taxman on our heels
Won't they have great craic going round all the Fleadheanna to try to catch all the dozens @ the various large & small sessions around them, & what about all the house sessions, sure look @ the big money changing hands there too.
Was that not an over officious Git trying to pretend that he represented government . No names & the publican say that he didn't invite them, but many of them being customers from time to time, throwing them out would mean asking his supporter ...... off. & expecting them to return the next night night for a pint or ?. Less drink sold, less revenue for the "bright " inspectors' bosses
# Posted on June 21st 2010 by accordianman
Re: taxman on our heels
WTF?
# Posted on June 21st 2010 by Jwalkert
Re: taxman on our heels
Good enough for ye hoors. It's time the taxman got ye!! Getting paid under the counter and the poor singers and bodhrán players getting feck all. That'll larn ye.
# Posted on June 22nd 2010 by knightly