The Rural Independent Group of TDs is slamming what it calls the Government’s relentless push for indirect taxes, especially carbon tax, which is hitting rural and low-income households the hardest.
Research by the Oireachtas Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) has revealed that rural families are more heavily impacted by VAT, excise duties, and carbon charges compared to their urban counterparts.
Deputy Mattie McGrath, Leader of the Rural Independent Group, highlights the Group’s call for the freezing or abolition of the carbon tax due to its harsh impact on rural communities. Government policy is to increase carbon tax to €100 per tonne by 2030.
The research underscores that the poorest households paid out an average of €88.20 per week in indirect taxes last year. Indirect tax liabilities amounted to 29.2% of disposable income for the poorest 10%, compared to just 7.9% for the wealthiest 10%.
