UK Horse Tax

[shockblue]

http://www.bhs.org.uk/Press_Centre/BHS_News/Current_News/Horse_Tax_e-petition.aspx

Hello! I was browsing the BHS website a couple of weeks ago and found out that the government want to put a tax us for our horses? I think this is a bit unfair as the majority of us only have one horse and pay for that horse with an already taxed income.

I signed the petition!

[harleemonster]

this is disgraceful!!!

already horses are expensive and us riders struggle to keep them and now the greedy fat cats want more money?

more horses will be neglected or abandoned because their owners will struggle to pay this extra. and why should we pay like farmes who keep livestock for selling/slaughter etc? over half of horse owners do not compete, only have horses for pleasure.

how about they all pay back what they owe this country in fraudulent expenses then lets see where we are!!!! hummpphh!! :(

[Native Lover]

First it was passports, now a tax where will it end.Plenty of dogs and cats suffer welfare issues to but they don't tax those owners

[8-legged-pony]

I would personally be quite happy to pay a tax, if the money was used to enhance the riding community. For example better bridlepaths, well signposted, with steps down to keep cars/bikes off them, and good footing. More pegasus crossings in areas where riders have to use the roads, etc. Unfortunately I doubt any of us would actually see any of the money we were taxed again!

[shockblue]

I would personally be quite happy to pay a tax, if the money was used to enhance the riding community. For example better bridlepaths, well signposted, with steps down to keep cars/bikes off them, and good footing. More pegasus crossings in areas where riders have to use the roads, etc. Unfortunately I doubt any of us would actually see any of the money we were taxed again!

That's a good point but I think they are aiming it at controlling infectious diseases? It didn't see it say anything about amenity's for the ordinary horse owner. I think the tax is for the bigger industrious bodies in the horse world such as breeding farms etc not just you and me with our one horse.

[lynnemh]

i'm quite cynical about government ( all parties) , so i think the money will be used to pay for some scheme that probably no one is interested in-- maybe one of thier working lunches or hotel stays? the only reason it has for existance is to get them more money and to keep tabs on us.

[artemis]

Its because of global warming. They want to know where horses are so that they can euthanase them in case of disease. Nothing to do with welfare.

DEFRA had some roadshows in the summer, very badly advertised (probably deliberately). I heard £10 a horse & £4 a chicken! Now that has to uneconomic to run, but once they know where you are they've got you.

[Trewsers]

Blimey, sounds all very scary! Bloomin government - how dare they try making us pay more tax!!!!!!

[lynnemh]

i think global warming is getting the plug for everything at the minute; so many different issues get on the bandwagon, and to be honest, i think that we are probably less polluting over the last 20 years, than we have been at any time in history. how it links to slaughtering our horses to stop the spread of disease is questionable i think, and i for one would not be very happy thinking that a ussaully incompetant government and its agencies will have the wherewithal to track down and sluaghter my beloved pets, to prevent a possible outbreak of disease-- it is truly frightening to think of the power our govenrment is beginning to have over us. what next a tax on dogs and cats ? or maybe on bycycles and rollerskate users? sorry- im a drama queen, but really we are over taxed and over surrvelenced, and i really question the motives behind all of these obscure rulings

[pharoah]

It you can tax it do so seems to be the way of the government at the moment. More money for all the people who don't deserve it.:mad:

[Wally]

If you think for one moment that you will see ony penny put towards anything horsey think again.

[artemis]

Lynn - you may be too young to remember, but they used to tax dogs, not so long ago. The stopped because it was uneconomic!
I didn't go to the roadshow because you had to register for a place with your name & address. In that way you would be known to them as an animal owner. I was informed that they were intending to tax all farm animals as well.

[lynnemh]

artemis, nope, not too young; i vaguely recall that. ( im old enough to forget things!) i really think it's protest-able. and i dont know if it's just me, but i just dont like the idea of governing bodies collecting info and catagorizing people