D'yiz remember there before the mini-budget last April I had a bit of a bright idea as to how Brian Lenihan could claw back some cash for the country's coffers? Yup, it was a tan tax, and I worked out that if tanning services were subject to a 4% levy, it'd net the exchequer a cool €4,470,000 per anum. Not to be sniffed at for the purposes of propping up cronies, bankers and property developers, what?
While the Irish government didn't take me up on my suggestion, it seems the US authorities are avid readers of Beaut.ie, because just before Christmas, they announced that as part of the new Senate health care bill, they'd be adding a 10% tax onto charges at tanning salons. Basically, customers will pay more for their sunbed addictions (no bad thing, you could argue) and the extra cash goes to help pay for healthcare reform, guaranteeing the US government $2.7 billion over 10 years.
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Whaddya reckon? Tantastic news or totally tragic?
