To be chaired by John Bowman (RTE) in Trinity College Dublin
Monday 24th September 7.30pm in the Synge Theatre, Nassau St entrance.
The audience will be invited to question a panel of economists who support the introduction of a Site Value Tax in Ireland
Constantin Gurdgiev, Ronan Lyons, Karl Deeter, with an international speaker to be confirmed.
The tax regime in Ireland, has been very favourable to property owners, but especially to developers who, with their banks, took maximum advantage, says Colm McCarthy in the preface to a new book on Site Value Tax published by the Smart Taxes Network. The system fuelled the disastrous development-site debts of a handful of testosterone-charged developers and led directly to the Irish state’s guarantee of the collapsing banks.
The Irish government is belatedly introducing a property tax under pressure from the Troika rather than from a conviction of its merits. Instead of targeting irresponsible developers, speculators and banks, the government is planning to bail them out again by excluding their land hoards and undeveloped sites from the new property tax. Ordinary home owners will pay at least 20% extra tax every year so that speculators can continue to pay nothing. Only a Site Value Tax can make them pay their fair share.
Speakers in this pubic debate will explain how a second massive transfer of wealth from the 99% to the 1% can happen again due to the ignorance of politicians, the hubris of the Department of Finance, and the continuing backroom influence of the developers and bankers. They can explain the real advantages of a Site Value Tax over a conventional property tax and convincingly show how easy it is to assess and implement.
Leaked reports suggest the government believes that the Irish public could not understand a Site Value Tax and so plan to impose a flawed property tax. Do the Irish people deserve this assessment of their intelligence by their leaders? Come along to the debate and make up your own mind.
The debate is hosted by the Smart Taxes network and numerous reports commissioned by the organization can be seen on the website smarttaxes.org
Registration not necessary. €5 on the door with concessions
Further information Judy Osborne 086 36 99 575
Press queries Rachel Henderson 086 8438379
THE FAIR TAX Supported by history • Agreed by economists • Feared by the 1%
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