Because it's a law
[Edit]I believe it's currently under review and could be decriminalised.
[Edit]I believe it's currently under review and could be decriminalised.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by HarryDn
as opposed to civil - e.g. not paying your electricity bill?
I don't watch TV (live or otherwise) but it's ludicrous.
I don't watch TV (live or otherwise) but it's ludicrous.
If you don't watch live TV, legally you don't need a TV licence. So stop paying for it.
Original post by Greenlaner
If you don't watch live TV, legally you don't need a TV licence. So stop paying for it.
And when you stop paying you get letters saying that they will take you to court.
The BBC is a public corporation of the Government department for Culture Media and Sport, although it's run like a public limited company.
As others have stated, the licence fee is treated as a tax like National Insurance payments for health services, pensions etc.
Not paying is classed as a form of tax evasion.
Taking the BBC out of public ownership would dumb it down to the level of any other commercial channel and in my view destroy the one thing that keeps British media output the envy of the world.
Not paying your licence fee will do the same to the BBC that pirate sharing has done to music.
As others have stated, the licence fee is treated as a tax like National Insurance payments for health services, pensions etc.
Not paying is classed as a form of tax evasion.
Taking the BBC out of public ownership would dumb it down to the level of any other commercial channel and in my view destroy the one thing that keeps British media output the envy of the world.
Not paying your licence fee will do the same to the BBC that pirate sharing has done to music.
(edited 9 years ago)
why should people be taxed for watching private TV channels? that's ridiculous. what if I don't want to watch the BBC but rather I want to watch sky/virgin?
Original post by DiddyDec
And when you stop paying you get letters saying that they will take you to court.
Which they have to prove you're watching live TV to do so.
Original post by zippity.doodah
why should people be taxed for watching private TV channels? that's ridiculous. what if I don't want to watch the BBC but rather I want to watch sky/virgin?
Nothing is stopping you watching Sky or Virgin - provided you pay their subscriptions, set up charges, satellite dishes etc. and take one of their telephone lines if you want the cheapest broadband package etc.
The burden of proof is still on them to show you do not watch live BBC programming unlike the tax system that says the burden of proof is on you to show the IR how much you earned last year irrespective of how much you use the services or not.
To change the current set up, the whole transmission system in the UK would need to change and set top boxes introduced nationwide with subscription payments etc. costs would rise and guess who would still end up paying one way or another - whether you watched the BBC or not?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by uberteknik
Oh well, you live in the UK and it's the law.
Nothing is stopping you watching Sky or Virgin - provided you pay their subscriptions, set up charges, satellite dishes etc. and take one of their telephone lines if you want the cheapest broadband package etc.
The burden of proof is still on them to show you do not watch live BBC programming unlike the tax system that says the burden of proof is on you to show the IR how much you earned last year irrespective of how much you use the services or not.
To change the current set up, the whole transmission system in the UK would need to change and set top boxes introduced nationwide with subscription payments etc. costs would rise and guess who would still end up paying one way or another - whether you watched the BBC or not?
Nothing is stopping you watching Sky or Virgin - provided you pay their subscriptions, set up charges, satellite dishes etc. and take one of their telephone lines if you want the cheapest broadband package etc.
The burden of proof is still on them to show you do not watch live BBC programming unlike the tax system that says the burden of proof is on you to show the IR how much you earned last year irrespective of how much you use the services or not.
To change the current set up, the whole transmission system in the UK would need to change and set top boxes introduced nationwide with subscription payments etc. costs would rise and guess who would still end up paying one way or another - whether you watched the BBC or not?
it's not *my* fault they're made this stupid system that forces people to watch channels they don't want
Original post by uberteknik
Oh well, you live in the UK and it's the law.
Nothing is stopping you watching Sky or Virgin - provided you pay their subscriptions, set up charges, satellite dishes etc. and take one of their telephone lines if you want the cheapest broadband package etc.
The burden of proof is still on them to show you do not watch live BBC programming unlike the tax system that says the burden of proof is on you to show the IR how much you earned last year irrespective of how much you use the services or not.
To change the current set up, the whole transmission system in the UK would need to change and set top boxes introduced nationwide with subscription payments etc. costs would rise and guess who would still end up paying one way or another - whether you watched the BBC or not?
Nothing is stopping you watching Sky or Virgin - provided you pay their subscriptions, set up charges, satellite dishes etc. and take one of their telephone lines if you want the cheapest broadband package etc.
The burden of proof is still on them to show you do not watch live BBC programming unlike the tax system that says the burden of proof is on you to show the IR how much you earned last year irrespective of how much you use the services or not.
To change the current set up, the whole transmission system in the UK would need to change and set top boxes introduced nationwide with subscription payments etc. costs would rise and guess who would still end up paying one way or another - whether you watched the BBC or not?
I was under the impression it doesn't matter what channel your watching.
Either way on a sky and virgin package they include all freeview channels. They only have to prove your watching live TV seeing the tax is also to cover the like of censors etc that cover all channels in the UK.
(edited 9 years ago)
Probably because it's so easy to avoid paying without getting caught, that they need a greater deterrent against people doing so.
Original post by Arbolus
I suppose it's because the license fee is established by an Act of Parliament, and therefore it's classified as a tax, and therefore not paying it counts as tax evasion.
Oh my! do you not register what your saying?
why not simply privatise it and regulate the content? Or make it some na5ional cooperative?
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