Television tax - should you pay

I'm particularly fond of the new mobile phones that receive telecasts, they have to pay as well!

Mister Panda,

You don't say where you're from originally, but let's say it's one of the states with a major PBS station.  That station has a subscription for which they're always requesting membership sign-up.  When you're a member, you're supporting public television.  In the States, this is optional.  In the UK, it's not.  If you watch anything at all on the BBC, watched BBC America back home, listen to BBC radio, listen to BBC World radio when you're not here, or visit their numerous websites, you're getting the benefits of the tax.  It's free for the elderly and disabled, reduced rates are available for the poor, a Black & White license is cheaper than the standard (for which you can only use it with a B&W telly), and you always have the option of not having a telly - radio only is free. 

If you never watch/listen/surf the BBC, but still own a telly, you alas still have to pay the tax. 

The way they find out if you're not paying is to send vans around that can sense the radiation given off by CRT tubes (and now Plasma TVs).  If it senses the radiation coming from your house, but you don't have a license, you get sent a £1,000 fine.  It's cheaper to pay the tax, but if you know when they're coming to your neighborhood, you can always arrange to have the TV unused for several hours beforehand.  I am surprised no enterprising young person has set up such a website/text-messaging alert service (for a subscription fee...) already.

Historically, it's been here since BBC first started television broadcasts.  It's unlikely that a toaster tax will evolve, though an IPod "tax" is very likely to, added on to the pay-per-download from which the artists get their royalties.

It's free for the elderly and disabled, reduced rates are available for the poor,

The only reduction for the disabled is a 50% discount if you happen to be blind (and it isn't very long ago that the blind got only a "generous" £1 discount from the full rate!).    There are no concessions for the poor.

The way they find out if you're not paying is to send vans around that can sense the radiation given off by CRT tubes (and now Plasma TVs). 

Not true if you want to be technically correct.  They detect by looking for radiation from the scanning circuits and the local oscillator.

If it senses the radiation coming from your house, but you don't have a license, you get sent a £1,000 fine. 

That's the maximum fine allowable by law.  The average fine in court for a first offense is likely to be considerably less.

By far the majority of "enforcement" these days is done by simply sending repeated threatening letters to any address on the database which doesn't have a license.  Retailers are also required by law to notify TV Licensing of the sale of a TV, VCR, etc. and to pass on the name and address given by the purchaser (hence many people  pay cash and never give their real name and address).

This is backed up by TV License Inspectors who have trained under an ex-Gestapo agents and will try to bully people into letting them into their home to incriminate themselves by suggesting that they have more legal authority than they actually do.

I hate regressive taxes like this and the council tax.  These taxes should be minimal and the balance should be collected through higher income taxes.

I don't mind paying higher income taxes if it means those who are retired or are on limited income don't have to pay 1500 pound a year in council taxes and license fees.  In return, we all can plan our own retirements with a little more certainty.

If it senses the radiation coming from your house, but you don't have a license, you get sent a £1,000 fine.  

Just to clarify that further, you will not just be sent a fine automatically if the radiation is detected.    The signals which are picked up could also be from something which is not receiving a TV broadcast, and therefore detector-van evidence alone is not sufficient for a conviction (although it would be considered sufficient to obtain a search warrant).    The largest majority of convictions are from those who when questioned and bullied by an inspector admit the offense.  

If you never watch/listen/surf the BBC, but still own a telly, you alas still have to pay the tax.

Again, just to clarify the legal position, the license is to receive a broadcast (whether BBC or anyone else).   You do not need a license merely to own a TV set, or to use it for watching pre-recorded tapes, DVDs, etc.

Paul,

Thanks for clarifying; you really know your telly tax. 

I agree with the other posters that it is a regressive tax and should be abolished in favour of another funding method.

In practice, if you own a telly but "just use it to play DVDs", it would be very hard to proove that you never watched TV in court.

Paul,

Thanks for clarifying; you really know your telly tax. 

When it comes to ferretting out stealth taxes, Paul is the master.

As you've probably gathered, I'm firmly opposed to the whole principle of the TV license anyway.  If (and that's a very big "if") there was ever any justification for it in the first place, that justification ended as soon as commercial TV started, which was way back in 1955.

In practice, if you own a telly but "just use it to play DVDs", it would be very hard to proove that you never watched TV in court.  

But you don't have to prove your innocence.   The prosecution has to prove that you have broken the law by watching without a license, and that's actually more tricky than TVL would have you believe.  

If a TV license inspector comes into your home (with a warrant, of course, as you should never let one in voluntarily as a matter of principle) he needs to see some hard evidence that you've actually broken the law.    If the set is connected to an antenna (or cable, or other source) and tuned in, that can be taken as evidence that the set has been installed for use.  If it's just sitting there with no connection to a broadcast source and none of the presets are tuned to broadcast signals, then legally it has not been installed for the reception of broadcast signals.    When pressed, TVL has conceded that this is the case.

That's really why most convictions are a result of somebody admitting the offense, and why TV inspectors will be so pushy and ask leading questions if you talk to them ("So when did you first use this set without a license?").      That's except for the obvious ones where the inspector looks through a window and clearly sees a broadcast signal being displayed.

When it comes to ferretting out stealth taxes, Paul is the master.

Hehe...... 

so...does anyone know when these TVLA vans are out and about?  i'm sure they don't post their schedule on their website or anything...but i've never even seen one of these vans.  do they go out in unmarked vans as well?  are there cities/towns that these guys cruise more often (like london, birmingham, etc.)?

essentially, every household is required to have a TV license....i understand that part.  and as i understand it, you need to hold a TV license to watch a TV in your house, but aren't required to buy a separate TV license for every TV in your house (please correct me if i'm wrong).  assuming this, if i were renting a room in a house and didn't have a TV license, but someone else renting another room had one, how would i get caught?  i'm assuming (and this might be a big assumption) that the TVLA van cruises by, picks up that there is a TV in the house that's on, looks in their records, sees that a TV license is registered to that address and moves on to the next house with them being none the wiser that there is another TV in the house that isn't licensed.  yes?  no? 

they have to apply for a work permit here before they come over!!!! hehehehe

so everyone knows when they are coming!

If you are in a flatshare you only need one licence to cover the whole flat/house. If you're in a bedsit within a house you need your own.

More info here:

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/detectionandpenalties.jsp

The way they find out if you're not paying is to send vans around that can sense the radiation given off by CRT tubes (and now Plasma TVs).  If it senses the radiation coming from your house, but you don't have a license,

I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere that it is impossible to scan for radiation from TVs... microwaves etc. would mess with the 'detectors'. It's pretty much an urban legend, which the BBC (and the equivalents in other countries) don't see a need to correct.
It seems to have started with the vans with satellite dishes on their roofs--although they are for sending stuff out, not detecting.

Our local rag runs an ad stating that the tv detector vans will be in the area. That magically produces a run to the PO. (I still think that the vans are empty though)

Also if you get a notice that it expires in Feb and you purchase a new one in July, it WILL be backdated to March!

A TV licence covers the named person and anyone living with them at the address stated on the licence document e.g. members of their family. If a person uses television at a second address, they will need to hold a separate licence for that address. However, there are three exceptions to this rule:

• The use of television in a static caravan (i.e. one that remains ‘on-site’) will be covered by the licence held for the user’s main address, provided there is no simultaneous use of television at both places  (THIS IS WHERE Mr. GATES GOT HIS IDEA!)

• The use of a television in a touring caravan (i.e. one that is used for touring from place to place) will always be covered by the user’s main home licence

• The use of a television set, which is powered solely by its own internal batteries will be covered for any address by the user’s main home licence. However, if the user plugs the set into the mains or connects it to any external power source such as a car battery, a separate licence would be needed.

All clear? 

i live in a rented flat where I assume the previous tenant (the owner) paid the tax for the year... I just get terrestrial tv - no sat, no cable. 

so... do they send snoopers around to see if your tv is on?  if you're caught without paying, do they fine you right away, or send a bill?  I've never received anything from them.  Perhaps an ignorant American waiver?

and is there a toaster tax?  or a dishwasher tax?  or a blender tax?

:^)