I'm as keen to NOT pay tax as the next person, but I gotta admit the Revenue Commissioners' web site sure is efficient and easy to use. It took me less than a minute to fill in the direct debit mandate for the annual charge.
And, yes, direct debit. I know I've said before that I HATE direct debit, but it really seems the best option for making the property tax seem as insignificant as possible. Obviously the amount owed differs according to property value, but if you use a €500 estimate for the tax that works out at less than €42 per month.
Do I want to pay it? No, I don't want to pay any taxes. However, the amount I pay in property tax is dwarfed by what I pay in income tax and VAT. The total tax taken from me is a far bigger issue than whether it's tax on my property or income or purchases.
So if you're a Labour or Fine Gael hack - or worse, government minister - quit bellyaching about the Revenue Commissioners' letters and do something about our massive tax bills.
