From William Rennox.
I KNOW I am not the only one who feels aggrieved at the extortionate rents charged to tenants of all types on this lovely Island.

It is almost as if we are workers living in days of old – see the Truck Acts UK – with so much of our wages going on essentials such as food and high rents that there is little left over to spend on anything else.

I think it would be fair to say that many tenants working outside the finance industry (and even some within) are being screwed by unscrupulous and greedy landlords, with the result that an unacceptable portion of their pay is going on rent. Heaven knows how those earning the minimum wage manage to cope.

Other countries have introduced fair rent acts to ensure that private rents are kept at an affordable level, so why can’t Jersey?

The Island’s rents are on a par with London’s, while Jersey wages are, for the most part, not. Living in an Island naturally has an adverse impact on commodity prices, which applies to all islands, but Jersey seems to be going out of its way to create a ‘them and us’ situation, with the wealthy being seen as more valuable than everyone else and, as has been reported in the JEP, being given preferential tax arrangements.

I realise that there are many wealthy people residing on this Island, and that for the most part they are decent good people who do what they can to help the community, and that many working in the finance industry do earn high incomes, but this does not apply to the majority of people living on this Island.

Let us have a fairer system with everyone subject to the same tax regime and no preferential treatment given to the 1(1)K immigrants. They are the ones who can easily afford to pay their fair share of taxes, and if they don’t like it, then good riddance.

And as regards UK based retailers not paying tax on their Jersey income, that beggars belief. Why the locally-based retailers have not stormed the States Chamber surprises me. Under the zero-ten corporate income tax reforms which take effect from next year, foreign non-finance firms, including big retailers like Bhs and Boots, will pay no tax to the States.

The locally owned Voisin’s department store will have to pay tax on profits here as personal income under zero-ten, but de Gruchy will not pay any tax here because it owned by the Ulster Stores Group. Instead, its tax will be paid in Northern Ireland.
1 Claremont,
Bagatelle Road,
St Helier.