Sir, – I wonder if the Government would consider changing the current property tax to a window tax, similar to that first levied in 1697 in Britain? Initially every house could be charged a basic fee. Then properties with 10-20 windows pay an additional amount and those with more than 20 paying the highest amount. This more equitable tax would be easy for the Government to enforce as tax inspectors could roam the country counting windows. It would take all the guesswork from homeowners trying to value their properties, hoping that an undervaluation won’t come back to haunt them in the future.
Tax evaders would have the opportunity to engage in the practice of “stopping up”, permanently filling in windows and the resulting deprivation of daylight would serve as a self-imposed penalty, thereby saving the Government millions in bringing tax defaulters to account. – Yours,etc,
MARIA HALPIN,
Clareville Road,
Harolds Cross, Dublin 6W.