Tax in 20 and 50 years. Water tax.

1. Tax in 20 and 50 years.Water tax. By Emma Hanley & Garry Lynch

2. The Tax • A tax would be placed on the use of water in households and businesses. • This tax will be required due to predicted population increases resulting in a greater need to regulate water use. • As water becomes more scarce there will be increased cost for the government to source water so this tax will be needed to meet this raise in costs. • This will ultimately lead to more care with regard to the use of water.

3. These challenges posed for the Government in the coming 20 years has not yet been fully addressed. • The water tax could be agreed to come into play in the year 2030. • Due to this tax, the severity of the water shortages will be less as people wont be using as much water and so the reservoirs where the water is being sourced will rarely run dry.

4. Next 20 years • To place a water tax on both businesses and households meters will have to be placed in each building. • These meters may take many years to get running and might cost the government millions to set up. • Once the meters are in place the Government can use the tax collected to repay the money they spend on the meters.

5. Use of tax in 20 years • The government can first use it for paying back the money spent on the water meters and the installing of these meters • It can be used to fix any leaks in pipes around the country to prevent unnecessary water losses. • Compensation could be paid to people who have already suffered from flooding to help them rebuild their lives.

6. Collection of tax in 20 years • The government should decide on a date to switch on all meters and let everyone know this date. • Tax incentives could be given to farmers and other small businesses due to the difference of the water that will be used in a normal household. • A standard amount of water should be allowed to be used before the tax applies as it would not be fair to tax all water. • The meters could be read manually and a monthly bill sent out.

7. 50 Years • If the tax is effective then the amount of water allowed before the tax applies will increase. • The meters would be updated by this point so they could be read from a central point so manual checking will no longer be needed. • People would be able to access information about their account online where they will be able to see there current water usage and pay their bill.

8. In areas prone to flooding, money from the tax wood be used to build up banks of rivers to prevent future flooding. • People who live in low lying areas could be moved to places near by that are less prone to flooding. • Reservoirs will be fitted with better purification systems to prevent against water related diseases such as e-coli.

9. Summery • This tax is designed to be non-neutral and aims to make people reduce their water usage. • This tax would be beneficial to both the government and the people as it generates revenue and it also prevents against water shortages. • We believe that a water tax would be a sensible idea for a tax in the future as it is sustainable, fair, easy to collect and would hugely help the people of Ireland.