Coming soon - an exciting new tax
The Earl of Shrewsbury To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to levy a tax on the ownership of horses; if so, what amount would be payable per animal; and whether they intend to extend that tax to the ownership of ponies and native horse or pony breeds.The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): Specific proposals on how responsibilities and costs for animal health could be shared in the future, including the scope and application of a registration based disease levy, have been subject to a recent three-month period of intensive public consultation. Final decisions as to whether owners of horses should contribute to a disease levy will be taken in the light of responses to that public consultation.
Never been enormously keen on horses, then again I am not a pre-teen girl. I would not be affected by a horse tax, but you can just see this lot slavering at the prospect that ticks so many boxes - hard to avoid, targets the well off, bashes rural folk, Newmarket is not a Labour seat, might finish off hunting once and for all.
Unless it is extended to clothes horses, I am in the clear.
As a footnote, the Earl has a splendid name: Charles Henry John Benedict Crofton Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl Talbot and 22nd Earl of Waterford. He's one of us, by the way.
Labels: furry creatures and similar, Taxes
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on Friday, July 17, 2009 at 12:44 pm.
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In late trading horse futures fell 4.6% and glue factories saw a significant fall in input prices...
As a former colleague used to say in approbation, 'give that man a large hat'.
As anyone I know who owns a horse will tell you, a ruinously punitive tax on the ownership of said beasts was invented a long time ago.
It's called VET!
Lakelander - you have my sympathies. There is a photo lurking on my hard drive of me atop a horse from a year or so back - son & heir wanted to go on a horse, and I drew the short straw in terms of accompanying him. On the upside, there is something to be said for a rear view of comely young ladies in jodhpurs. I trust the photo will never fall into the hands of blackmailers.
"...how responsibilities and costs for animal health could be shared in the future..."
My suggestion: The horse-owners pay the costs and bear the responsibilities.
Problem solved; no new taxes required, no quangoes, no staff, no offices, no laptops, no pensions.
What is their problem?
Anon - Sounds pretty reasonable to me...
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