Sir, – Leo Varadkar has repeated his intention to cut income tax for "early risers" and "hard-working families", claiming it is they who "pay for everything" ("Income tax cuts may be funded by other tax hikes, says Varadkar", News, June 29th).
It is clear that he has no intention of moving to a position where the wealth of the country is to be divided among the citizenry with some degree of calculated fairness, but rather believes that the opportunity to live a life with dignity and free from deprivation is only available to those with a job.
In that case, should he not, as a priority, seek to change the Constitution to make access to a job for all able-bodied people a right?
At least in that scenario, he could justify his very obvious disdain for those in poverty as opposed to being disgusted by poverty itself. – Yours, etc,
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JIM O’SULLIVAN,
Rathedmond,
Sligo.
Sir, – The Taoiseach is determined to cut taxes for those of us that “are working and get up every day, go to work and pay the taxes that make everything else work”.
Why is the Taoiseach continuing with this mantra?
I have got up every working day since I was 15, but I don’t want my taxes cut, as this only enables the more wealthy in society to be better off.
If the Taoiseach really wants to help people in work by reducing their tax outlay, he could start by cutting VAT on items associated with child-rearing or other such matters.
Business is continually demanding more investment in research and development by the State. How is this to be done if income taxed is reduced?
No one wants to talk about the elephant in the room regarding raising tax, and that is through corporation tax.
A small increase in that tax, or ensuring that those companies that should be paying the correct corporation tax are in fact doing so, would greatly benefit the State. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DORAN,
Clondalkin,
Dublin 22.
Sir, – The Taoiseach is to be commended for his statement in support of reducing income tax on working people. Our tax system currently confiscates 49 per cent of every extra euro earned over €33,800 per annum by a single person, and is by any standard penal. Social Justice Ireland has pronounced (in its April tax briefing) that any alleviation of this burden would be “unfair”. Let us hope that Mr Varadkar’s understanding of fairness differs from that of Social Justice Ireland. – Yours, etc,
DAVID FitzGERALD,
Goatstown,
Dublin 14.