Patricia W Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 There's an article in The Times today (page 21) about owners facing taxes for animal disease insurance. It says that anyone owning a cow, pig,sheep or CHICKEN will have to pay a new animal disease tax and also pay compulsory insurance to cover costs in case of an outbreak of disease. It will be 8p for a chicken. It mentions " keepers of small backyard flocks". I'm assuming that it won't affect those of us with less than 50 chickens - am I right? Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I knew it someone posted here a while ago about US home chicken keepers having to pay for a license and lots of people posted that it would not be long before our government cottoned on to it, I hope it does not apply to most of us with very small numbers of hens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillus Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Is this going to be an annual tax? If so my 32 pence for my four girls is going to be less than the cost of the stamp to post it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Is this going to be an annual tax? If so my 32 pence for my four girls is going to be less than the cost of the stamp to post it! we should all offer to pay it by installments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillus Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Do you think an MP with chickens gets to claim it on his/her expenses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Do you think an MP with chickens gets to claim it on his/her expenses only if they watch mucky videos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I wonder what the admin costs will be to collect my 96p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbug Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffyknickers Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Oh no, better start saving for my 24p now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Ruddy Golden Brown; getting us every way he can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Do you get a refund if one of your chickens dies or gets eaten by a fox during the year??? My chicken numbers seem rather flexible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 And how, exactly, is this going to be enforced? Armies of civil servants, now there's a way to reduce the unemployed. Give them government jobs to big bruvver the rest of us. We will have to wear Kev's design T shirts hidden underneath our normal clothes bearing them only at clandestine support meetings. This story is a day too early Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 At a guess, in just that same way as DEFRA spread the news and visit smallholding when there is a bird flu outbreak.... :roll:' Not at all' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Will they have a statutory right of entry to collect this fortune which will swell the coffers at the Treasury? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I had better put the price of my eggs up, to cover my 48p increase in costs! Do I have to pay once a year?? It smacks of when they used helicopters to fly over gardens to spot green lawns during a hose pipe ban Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Do we get to pay half price for Bantams?- I mean Snowy and Scurry are tiny and are far too posh to bother with laying eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 We will have to microchip every hen, supplying DEFRA with a recent UNSMILING photograph and register her on a database linked to a bank account from which there will be a direct debit taken a year in advance. I suspect fowl play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Rip off Britain yet again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 We will have to microchip every hen, supplying DEFRA with a recent UNSMILING photograph and register her on a database linked to a bank account from which there will be a direct debit taken a year in advance.I suspect fowl play I can just picture hens sitting on that little swivel chair in the photo booth, and prob leave a pressie for the next person Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 You say insurance does that cover vet bills in which case I'm in for 24p a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Heck - that's £1.60 for my lot. How ridiculous! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I can just picture hens sitting on that little swivel chair in the photo booth, and prob leave a pressie for the next person Snowy and Scurry would have to balance on top of a milk crate on the stool to get their pics done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poached Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 help! i better start saving my £1.44 now i feel sorry for lesley jsh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmommasally Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Fear not! I think we might just be okay According to Farmers Weekly the levy per chicken is 4p. On Defra's consultation paper (Annex 9 Thresholds for payment of registration fee) the table shows that they would not collect from any premise with less than 397 chickens as the cost of invoicing would be greater than the revenue collected. This means that we can all have 396 chickens and not have to pay the tax - I best go and buy some more then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
