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[Nickbat]

Proving that idiocy truly has no bounds, Spain issued a "royal decree" taxing sunlight gatherers. The state threatens fines as much as 30 million euros for those who illegally gather sunlight without paying a tax.

The tax is just enough to make sure that homeowners cannot gather and store solar energy cheaper than state-sponsored providers.

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/spain-levies-consumption-tax-on-sunlight.html

 

[PhilRich]

Hope it doesn't catch on here with a rain tax!

[Rods2]

I surprised the EU has not introduced a personal climate change tax for the CO2 we all breath out and the methane we produce. I hope no Government minister in Spain is reading this or that will be their next tax! 

Spain's power generating industry is bankrupt where the Government set electricity prices and they are set below the cost of generation. Just one of many economic skeletons in Spain's moribund economy.  Their banks are sitting on around €300,000,000,000 of non-performing property loans, that they are still pretending are perfectly good loans and they will get their money back. 

At some point the economic brown stuff will hit the Spanish Government's fan. 

In Spain registering as self employed or a company is so expensive and onerous tax wise, people don't bother they just work in the black economy. As an economic basket case they are in many ways worse than Greece. 

[Rods2]

Hope it doesn't catch on here with a rain tax!

We already have one, where the last Government changed the law so water companies can and do charge a water runoff levy for non-residential buildings. 

[Varche]

I surprised the EU has not introduced a personal climate change tax for the CO2 we all breath out and the methane we produce. I hope no Government minister in Spain is reading this or that will be their next tax! 

I think we can all expect more daft taxes as the governments get more desperate. I remember an Irish forum member telling us about registering septic tanks(none mains sewage) - just a tax by any other name yet slips under the radar. They haven't done that yet here but give them time.

Spain's power generating industry is bankrupt where the Government set electricity prices and they are set below the cost of generation. Just one of many economic skeletons in Spain's moribund economy.  Their banks are sitting on around €300,000,000,000 of non-performing property loans, that they are still pretending are perfectly good loans and they will get their money back. 

Agreed but putting electric prices up to where they should be will create inflation. far better to milk UK utility customers to make up the shortfall. The Frenchies have a similar electric/energy pricing scheme.

At some point the economic brown stuff will hit the Spanish Government's fan. 

Agreed. Will it take down the Euro/Europe?

In Spain registering as self employed or a company is so expensive and onerous tax wise, people don't bother they just work in the black economy. As an economic basket case they are in many ways worse than Greece. 

The current government have made changes to the laws to enable hiring and firing to be economic. What they haven't done is address self employed. You currently for example have to pay National Insurance of 280 euros (about £250) every month if you are self employed - regardless of whether you have turned over a cent. So no incentive to go legit as say a web designer. Far better to do some labouring cash in hand IF you can find any.