Bishop Hill Jul 5, 2013 Climate: McKitrick Economics Tax Ross McKitrick has responded (in considerable detail) to some of the criticisms of his T3 tax proposal in a paper posted at his website.
Bishop Hill Jul 4, 2013 Climate: Parliament Energy: costs Tax The Taxpayers' Alliance is doing a sterling job fighting green taxes, with the Mail covering a new campaign launched today.
Punitive green taxes will help inflate the average family energy bill by almost a third to £1,900 by the end of the decade.
By 2020, green charges and tax will make up £620 of the typical annual bill for gas and electricity, according to the Taxpayers’ Alliance.
The group will today launch a campaign to persuade ministers to ‘stop the energy swindle’ as households struggle with record charges.
Josh Jul 3, 2013 Climate: McKitrick Economics GWPF Josh Tax Here are my cartoon notes of a paper presented today by Prof Ross McKitrick, hosted by The GWPF in one of the committee rooms in the House of Lords, Westminster, London, UK. The title is "An evidence-based approach to pricing CO2 emissions". It was intellectually stretching, intriguing and elegant. Ross' brilliance is that he makes the complicated sound simple.
Bishop Hill Sep 17, 2012 Economics Energy: gas Energy: oil Tax Jo Nova has done an indepth analysis of the "fossil fuels are subsidised" argument, knowingly and misleadingly promoted by environmentalists and their political friends around the world.
Groups like Greenpeace and The Australian Conservation Foundation argue that really, Governments are helping fossil fuel companies far more than green ones. But while governments rewrite national economies to help “green” companies, about half of the help for fossil fuels is simply that the government didn’t take as much off them as it could. The net flow of money is still from Big-Fossil-Energy towards Big-Government. It takes a special kind of grand entitlement to call that a subsidy.
A must-read.
Bishop Hill Jun 28, 2012 Economics Energy: costs Tax UK readers will be aware that VAT is levied on energy at a reduced rate of 5% - regardless of the source of the energy.
Here is how National Geographic describes the situation.
A reduced value added tax levied for the use of natural gas for heating fuel and power amounted to a subsidy of $4.4bn...in 2010. The UK also levies a reduced value added tax for petroleum and coal on a smaller scale.
Wow. That's quite a misrepresentation isn't it?
Bishop Hill Jun 4, 2012 Climate: other Economics Tax After I posted the carbon tax piece last night I was struck by a thought. The argument apparently goes that the uncertainty in climate change means that we should insure against it.
Now, let's suppose that I come up with a theory that our world is in danger of being taken over by a superrace of green lizards from the planet Beetlegeuse. Should we insure against that too?
I guess the question I'm asking is, what are the criteria that determine when a hypothesis of impending danger is sufficiently well-supported that insurance is required.
If a bunch of scientists say their models predict that there's a problem but their models seem unable to forecast anything very much, is that sufficient?
Bishop Hill Jun 3, 2012 Climate: other Economics Libertarianism Tax There are two interesting posts advocating carbon taxes doing the rounds at the moment. These have been getting quite a lot of attention because they have been written by libertarians rather than the millenarian hippies and the retired Socialist Worker salesmen who usually promote the idea. I shall hazard a comment on these economic issues, issuing my customary caveat that economics is not really my thing.
First up is Jonathan Adler, who normally blogs at US law blog, the Volokh Conspiracy, but has chosen to set out his ideas at Megan McArdle's blog:
Bishop Hill May 2, 2012 Energy: oil Tax Left Foot Forward has an article by a trades unionist bemoaning Shell's decision to pull the plug on its North Sea wind projects.
Firstly, with a 16% surge in three months profits to £4.5bn, why do companies like this need the coalition’s £3 billlion subsidy for oil and gas exploration off the Shetlands?
Secondly, is the company’s finance director right to criticise the ‘vast amount of public subsidies going into renewables’ when the government already subsidises fossil fuels by £3.63bn a year, mostly in the form of VAT breaks?
This is quite extraordinarily silly, even by Left Foot Forward standards. The chancellor is trying to encourage oil companies to open new oil fields as quickly as possible, because then they will make even more profit and pay even more tax. The incentives for exploration off Shetland are more to do with the Chancellor's needs than those of the oil companies.
Moreover, the "£3 billion subsidy" is in fact nothing of the sort. As well as paying corporation tax, oil companies have to pay the Supplementary Charge, an extra whack of taxation charged simply because they are an oil company. The Shetland "field allowance" reduces the profits subject to this extra tax for new fields in that area. So what Left Foot Forward calls a "subsidy" is in fact a partial levelling of the playing field with other parts of the energy sector and indeed with other industry sectors.
I've observed from time to time the remarkable number of occasions on which an argument put forward by a left-wing political activist involves an abuse of the English language. This is yet another of those occasions.
Finally, I should also point out that the £3.63 billion of VAT breaks are of course also available to the renewables sector, because VAT is charged on electricity regardless of source.
From beginning to end, the Left Foot Forward article is a demand for special treatment disguised by misleading language and misleading figures. Why do people think they can get away with this kind of thing?
Bishop Hill Today there are new manifestations of the madness that is gripping the UK.
The Telegraph (H/T GWPF) reports that UK manufacturers want hefty subsidies to compensate them for the green taxes that are hitting them so hard.
Meanwhile, I tried to buy some firewood for the winter yesterday. The first supplier I called said they could no longer supply hardwood because they had been priced out of the market by electricity generators. The second wasn't answering the phone.
When will Atlas Shrug?
Bishop Hill Oct 28, 2009 Tax This is shamelessly stolen from Jeff Id. The idiom is American, but the point is universal.
At first I thought this was funny…..
then I realized the awful truth of it.
Be sure to read all the way to the end!…
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he’s fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers.
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won’t be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers,
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He’s good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he’s laid.
Put these words
upon his tomb,
“Taxes drove me to my doom…”
When he’s gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
...
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon or more)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax=0
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
California Redemption Tax
Recycling Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation
was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle
class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
Bishop Hill Jul 31, 2009 Bureaucrats Education Tax I am grateful to a reader, Andrew K, who has been doing some digging into the DCSF spend on my behalf. I should note in passing that John Redwood has been picking up on this story too - I'm not sure if prompted by my blog posting or not though.
Rather than rewrite Andrew K's comments, I'm just reproducing what he has reported to me with minor edits. I'm particularly intrigued by the enormous benevolence of DCSF to postcode NW5 1TL.
A text filter on "Connexions" gives a total of £11.8m, almost double the amount you quoted [in your earlier post].
Similarly Educational Digital Ltd (£7.8m) also appears to be Teachers' TV, making the total paid to them £16.4m.
A total of £14.3m has been paid to postcode NW5 1TL. Of this, £181k has gone to Brook Advisory Centre (two credirors for this) and £14.2m has gone to six creditors who are variants on a theme of National Family & Parenting Institute/Parentline Plus
Mange on the Move (£1,927.92) is not, as you might think, a travelling vet but rather a catering service http://home.btconnect.com/mange/mange.html
A4E £378k http://www.mya4e.com/getdoc/8e78217e-8134-4ccb-a9f7-56bbcedbf4d9/The-A4e-Story.aspx They talk the talk, but what exactly do they do?
Adfam £51k For families of drug users: latest turnover £638k Seems fairly worthy, but this looks like posturing http://www.adfam.org.uk/index.php?content=our_work_cb&include=no
4PS £492k This is the Local Government Association by another name http://www.4ps.gov.uk/
A National Voice £230k an organisation run for and by young people who are or have been in care http://www.anationalvoice.org/about/about2.htm Latest turnover £277k, so most of income apparently from DCSF
Africans Unite Against Child Abuse £90k "an organisation concerned about cruelty against the African child" Latest turnover £218k
Aldeburgh Productions £195k http://www.aldeburgh.co.uk/about_us
Alligan/Alligan Ltd(two creditor numbers) £337k "Alligan exists to ensure the successful transformation of organisations in the education sector. We have considerable experience in providing specialist services tailored to the needs of our clients." Consultants http://www.alligan.co.uk/
Alpine Consortium £256k Seems to cover a multitude of sins: procurement/recruitment/consultancy http://www.alpine.eu.com/consortium.shtml
Amateur Swimming Association £994k WTF?
SW12 9DQ "Annual Maintenance Grant" £160k Postcode is for Bank of Ireland, Balham.
Appleyards Ltd £2.6million Consultants? "Appleyards are delighted to have been chosen to act as Project Managers for the feasibility stage for two proposed new academies in Richmond." http://www.appleyards.co.uk/home
Ark/Ark Conferences Ltd/Ark Educational Ltd £26.5million http://www.arkonline.org/education/ Academies?
Partnerships for Schools £16.7million Quango Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is responsible for delivering (sic)the government's secondary school renewal programme. http://www.partnershipsforschools.org.uk/
Substance 2005 Ltd £1.0 million Vewy pwetencious "We gather information – engaging, listening, reviewing, searching and consulting. We use participatory qualitative research techniques. This involves being with people, interviewing, observing and facilitating dialogue. We develop and make use of a range of new technologies and web based tools in our desire to go beyond the simplistic collation and dissemination of statistics.
We analyse, process and communicate information – through web based monitoring and evaluation, mapping and consultation exercises. We organise conferences, seminars and public events. We publish research reports, articles, guides and web based materials. We are always exploring new ways to communicate our findings and ideas."
"Substance 2005 Limited is registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 Register No. 30017 R
Registered 14 November 2005Substance is also a member of Co-operatives UK - the union of co-operative enterprises"
http://www.substance.coop/us_company_info
Bishop Hill Jul 21, 2009 Bureaucrats Education Tax The DSCF has now agreed to provide some information about payments to individuals. While the names have been redacted, this does give a feel for how much some suppliers are able to extract from the department. Here's the top ten:
| Individual | 180,380.73 |
| Individual | 158,024.80 |
| Individual | 154,867.29 |
| Individual | 148,018.92 |
| Individual | 146,219.84 |
| Individual | 145,387.90 |
| Individual | 133,552.14 |
| Individual | 121,233.36 |
| Individual | 102,823.95 |
| Individual | 85,440.75 |
There's good money to be made from DCSF.
Bishop Hill Jul 20, 2009 Bureaucrats Tax Still going:
Why on Earth would the DCSF be paying £1.5m to the International Centre for Financial Regulation?
Bishop Hill Jul 17, 2009 Bureaucrats Fake charities Tax I'll post anything interesting I notice on the DCSF spend here. Feel free to add other things in the comments if you like.
Guardian Media Group £1.1m.
Gypsy Media Company £7,500 ("Britain's only media company run by and for Gypsies")
Total paid to firms with "Consultancy" (or similar) in their name £28m. Some of the amounts are eye-watering. Ecotec Research & Consulting are good for £1.4m. Make that £3.2m!!! They seem to have two accounts. Must have been a bloody good report they wrote.
Cap Gemini £44m
Capita £132m
£2,643 for the BBC's Mike Baker.
Children's Workforce Development Council £89m ("exists to improve the lives of children...by ensuring that all people working with them have the best possible training and advice").
School Food Trust £10m
Association of Chief Police Officers £81k
Chetham's School of Music £5.1m. This is an independent school with 290 pupils. That's £17k per pupil.
Hotels £2.5m.
The Book Trust £13m
Common Purpose £13k (well someone was going to ask....)
Connexions £6m
National Academy for Parenting Practitioners £4.7m (works to transform the quality and size of the parenting workforce across England, so that parents can access the help they need to raise their children well).
AEA Technology (That's the Atomic Energy Agency) £135m!!!!
Teachers' TV £8.6m
Congress Centre - Trades Union Congress £21.8m!!! This looks like a bung, does it not? Update: It's probably the Union Learning Fund. Definitely a bung then.
Early Years Development Partnerships. There are two of these - one in Blackpool, one in Middlesborough, both getting about £8m each. Why only two?
The Sorrell Foundation. £740k. Ooh this looks like fun. SF is a charity which does design stuff. It was set up by someone called Sir John Sorrell. Their most recent accounts (for December 2007) have income of £768k, so it's more than likely that they are near-completely funded by the DCSF. So much for charitable status. There is an interesting contingent liability in the accounts: "As at the year end, The Sorrell Foundation was in discussions with HM Revenue & Customs regarding the employment status of certain individuals".
Netmums £481k. What for?
2012 Organising Committee £356k
;)