Does the Lisbon Treaty give the EU the power to raise its own taxes?

[Earnest]

2 Words in the Lisbon Treaty gives the EU all the power it needs to TAX YOU!

Which words? There's no change from the existing situation.

Climate Change.

You will have every facet of your life taxed becuase of this fraudulent science. You will legally have to pay Carbon Taxes like it or not and there is nothing the Government can do about it.

Furthermore a recent EU ruling has stataed that County Councils must charge 21.5% VAT of waste disposal .. because it is anti competitive to the private operator.

It's only a matter of time before the EU decides our 12.5% corporation tax is anti competitive. If we insist on keeping our 12.5%, importers in other EU countries will likely have to pay destination Taxes to compensate. Meaning they wont. Meaning we will be made toe the line and bring our Corporation tax in line with the EU norm.

Can't be done, because VAT rates come under the EU and corporation taxes don't.

[Free to Prosper]

On July 16th this year, the European Court of Justice handed down a decision requiring local authorities to charge VAT on the services they provide. This means local authorities in Ireland must soon charge Vat at up to 21% on refuse collection, entry to swimming pools, parking etc.

The EU Water Framework Directive means that schools and farmers etc are already charged for use of water, but is now compounded by this ECJ tax decision which means that public authorities in competition with private providers will have to charge VAT for services such as water as well.

Asked about this ECJ ruling by a national newspaper, Niall Campbell, head of global indirect tax services at KPMG Ireland, said: “It is fair to say that, in this case, Ireland lost on all counts.”

The ruling also contradicts the Government’s claim it has "guarantees" that Ireland will have full control over its taxation system. UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has already stated, "Every head of state agrees that these guarantees do not change the [Lisbon] Treaty." These “guarantees” are simply a PR con job.

Article 311 of Lisbon gives the EU power to unanimously 'establish new categories of own resources'. The last part of art 311 states the rules on this new tax are to be decided by qualified majority voting - ie we lose our national veto on its details.
Even the government's own white paper (chapter 10) says: 'the Treaty allows for the implementing measures, such as how Own Resources are to be made available and accounted for, to be decided by QMV.'

The Treaty of Lisbon gives EU institutions power to raise new taxes and to tax you and I; hardly a good state of affairs?
What do you think?



cf Irish Times article of July 17, 2009

Consumers may face price hikes after ruling
Services likely to be affected by the European Court of Justice ruling on VAT extend from off-street car parking to waste collection, recycling, recreation and access to public swimming pools.
DOMINIC COYLE

CONSUMERS ALREADY facing additional charges from local authorities could see those rise further after the Government lost a significant case yesterday at the European Court of Justice. 

The court ruled that Ireland was unfairly absolving local authorities from charging VAT for services – such as off-street car parking – when private operators were obliged to charge VAT.
However, it went further in stating that Ireland had failed to properly reflect in its national legal code the provision of European directives on VAT.
As a result of the ruling, local authorities and other State and public bodies are going to have to charge VAT on services where they are in competition with private operators. This extends far beyond off-street parking – the cause of the original complaint to the European courts.
Services likely to be affected include waste collection and recycling, and recreation and amenities such as access to public swimming pools.
Any move to introduce water charges could also raise the spectre of consumers having to pay VAT on top of the actual rate.
Another area where local authorities are likely to face issues is in the leasing of publicly owned property, where the current practice of not charging VAT would place them in an stronger position than private landlords.
Niall Campbell, VAT partner and head of global indirect tax services at KPMG Ireland, said: “It is fair to say that, in this case, Ireland lost on all counts.”
He said EU rules laid down very specific guidelines on whether publicly provided services should be chargeable to VAT.
“If the provision of the service creates a distortion of the market vis-à-vis private sector operators, they should be liable to VAT. Services are always liable to VAT if they are seen as outside the remit of a local authority. Then there are a list of services in an annex to the EU directive and services on this list, such as telecoms and electricity, are always liable to VAT no matter what the public or private status of the group providing them is.”.........

Irish Times article Friday, July 17,2009

[Free to Prosper]

Oh yes, the Govt white paper on Lisbon

Such much for unamimity on tax matters eh? Its rules move to QMV

Own Resources
5. There was considerable debate during the negotiations about whether Own Resources decisions should in future be adopted by QMV or should continue to require unanimity. In the end, unanimity was maintained for the main Own Resources decision. However, the Treaty allows for the implementing measures, such as how Own Resources are to be made available and accounted for, to be decided by QMV.


Multi-annual Financial Framework
10. However, provision is also made for the European Council to decide by unanimity at some future point that QMV should be used for decisions on the EU’s financial framework.

[eurosceptic]

I cannot rule out EU taxes post-Lisbon.

[Earnest]

Oh yes, the Govt white paper on Lisbon

Such much for unamimity on tax matters eh? Its rules move to QMV

Quote:
Own Resources
5. There was considerable debate during the negotiations about whether Own Resources decisions should in future be adopted by QMV or should continue to require unanimity. In the end, unanimity was maintained for the main Own Resources decision. However, the Treaty allows for the implementing measures, such as how Own Resources are to be made available and accounted for, to be decided by QMV.

Multi-annual Financial Framework
10. However, provision is also made for the European Council to decide by unanimity at some future point that QMV should be used for decisions on the EU’s financial framework.

Why can you not understand what you are quoting? Main "Own Resources" decisions have to be unanimous. Only the implementing details are QMV.

For the present position, see
Budget

The details - the bits which wil be QMV - are listed such as:

Harmonisation of the compilation of GNP
European system of national and regional accounts in the Community
Common rules for the provision of basic information on Purchasing Power Parities and for their calculation and dissemination