Sir, – Just as longer commutes were never the solution to the last property boom, Julieanne Prendiville's idea of a UK-style "bedroom tax" (April 21st) won't resolve this one.
We already suffer too many taxes in Ireland that disregard the enormous variations in people’s ability to pay.
There’s a myth that indirect taxes “widen the tax base”. They don’t. In essence, all tax is income tax as you’ll need an income coming from somewhere to hand the money over to the Revenue in the first place. But very high earners are insulated from such indirect taxes while the aggregate effect of them on low earners and the unemployed can be devastating. Regressive taxes only ever serve to exacerbate economic inequality. – Yours, etc,
RONAN SCANLAN
Leopardstown, Dublin 18.
Sir, – The very idea is enough to make one pull up the covers and turn over. – Yours, etc,
TOM GILSENAN,
Beaumont, Dublin 9.
Sir, – Which ministry would oversee a bedroom tax? The Ministry of Peace, Plenty, Love or Truth? – Yours, etc,
GEOFF SCARGILL,
Bray, Co Wicklow.