Let's Tax Charities Instead

This is a good one.

The Daily Telegraph today has an article about charities paying for a music licence when fund raising.

The government won't cut services to help with the massive debt we now have, but it will take money away from charities, who are having a hard time raising money as it is.

Although it isn't coming into effect till April 2010, it will cripple a lot of smaller charities.

Here is a quote from the article;

In its own impact assessment the Government admits that it will cost voluntary groups £20 million a year and will be "highly detrimental". Some organisations will "cease playing music" because they cannot afford a license, and it will hit a quarter of a million organisations - 140,000 charities, 6,750 charity shops, 66,440 sports clubs, 4,000 community buildings, 5,000 rural halls and 45,000 religious buildings.

If you think this is a new thing, it isn't. Read this quote;

The clampdown is part on an ongoing tightening of music licensing law which has already proved controversial. Last month this newspaper revealed that police forces were paying hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to allow officers to listen to music at their desks, in canteens and even in cell blocks.

In 2007, PRS launched a test case against Lancashire Police, which it argued was not paying enough money and secured a 20 fold increase. The music bill for Derbyshire Police rose from around £700 in 2007 to £60,000 the following year.

It won't be long before every workplace will have to pay this if they have a radio on site.

I know the government has to find money from somewhere, but to tax charities that is going a bit far.