FINANCE MINISTER Michael Noonan has totally ruled out the prospect of a tax on text messages – arguing that such a move would be counter-productive, turning people off SMS as a form of communication.
The latest figures from communications watchdog ComReg showed that Ireland sent over 12.3 billion SMS messages over the course of the year – including 3.165 billion in the last three months of the year.
The stats mean that even a 1c levy on every text message would therefore raise €123m per year at the current levels – but Noonan believes putting a tax on texts would raise far less, as it would turn people off text messaging.
What do you think? Would you be less likely to send text messages if there was a 1c levy on each one? Or would the idea be a sensible way of raising some spare cash for the Irish economy?
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