Interesting letter in today’s Irish Times.
Bertie Ahern’s tax perk
Madam,
When I wrote a biography of Brendan Bracken I was denied the artists’ tax exemption by the Revenue because a biography, being a recital of facts, did not rank as an original and creative work.Are we to infer from their determination in relation to Mr Ahern’s memoirs that they are fiction? – Yours, etc,
CHARLES LYSAGHT,
Strand Road,
Merrion,
Dublin 4.
Mr. Lysaght is being humorous but it’s odd (or perhaps not) that Revenue allowed tax relief on Ahern’s book (which wasn’t even written by him) and refused Mr. Lysaght for what is, effectively, the same product.
well, you know why the harp is the symbol of Ireland. Its all about pulling strings!
Funny piece in The Phoenix today (Biffo’s Briefs) which has Bertie asking Biffo to have him elected to Aosdána.
It seems that it was never proven beyond doubt that Mr Ahern got stuffed bank accounts and cash gifts through corruption. But what seems beyond doubt is that Mr. Ahern never paid tax on this income. It would seem that Mr. Ahern is not bound by law (law he oversaw as Minister for Finance) to pay tax. In fact he seems to be embraced by many, not as a tax criminal, but rather as some kind of celebrity politician.