City Council Calls for Abolition of Universal Social Charge

City Council Calls for Abolition of Universal Social Charge

Cork City Council last night passed a Sinn Féin motion calling on the government to abolish the Universal Social Charge.

Welcoming the passage of the motion, Sinn Féin councillor Chris O’Leary said:

“The Universal Service Charge is a flat tax: everyone with an income above €16,000 pays it at the same rate of 7%.”

“It also brings people who earn as little as €77 a week into the tax net.”

“As such it breaches the fundamental principal of progressive taxation – that those who have more, should pay more.”

“Sinn Féin believes the USC should be abolished and replaced by a new tax rate of 48% for income earned in excess of €100,000. This would generate €410 million, nearly identical to the €420 million generated by the introduction of the Universal Social Charge.”

“I welcome the council’s support for our call that the USC should be abolished. Sinn Féin councillors are putting similar motions to local authorities across the state. I hope Labour and Fine Gael members of the council will now put pressure on their party colleagues in government to remove this inequitable tax.

For further information or comment contact Cllr Chris O’Leary 087-2794307