TV Tax

societys_child

NewHomeExpert wrote: »

Even if you dont watch TV live you still need a TV licence.

Yawwwwn . . . No you don't.

HappyMJ

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

They do precisely that at the moment to check on which addresses do and do not have TV Licences, so the answer to our question is 'yes'.

To get a street address requires a court order to the ISP for each and every IP address. They can't just ask. My address is not static it changes every day so they would have to ask for logs from the ISP. That court order would cost a fortune. I can't see them doing it and ISP's would be also be asking for costs from TV licensing. Only about 5% of properties are unlicensed and evading paying paying according to TV licensing so the hit rate would be 1 in 20. Then they have to get further evidence by getting a court order to get access to the property to find the computer that was accessing the live TV and if they can find enough evidence on it they could try prosecuting in court and hopefully get a conviction. The return on the money spent isn't worth it so I can't see them doing it.

brewerdave

Cornucopia wrote: »

What they do at the moment is to use a list of all street addresses and subtract those with licences - pretty simple.

Using IP addresses is much more complex and would require the cooperation of ISPs to tie street addresses to IP addresses. And then there is the matter of dynamic allocation (DHCP)...

It's not worth doing this at the moment to catch the relatively small numbers involved.

...and they would have to get a Court order every single time with every ISP - the infamous case involving ACS Law and supposed illegal downloading provides a salutary lesson!!! How many more people use the BBC website??:rotfl:

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

NewHomeExpert wrote: »

Even if you dont watch TV live you still need a TV licence.
Even if you watch online on catch -up

Bull.

No live tv or equipment capable of receiving it, no tv tax. Even if I watch catch up tv.

Cornucopia

brewerdave wrote: »

...and they would have to get a Court order every single time with every ISP - the infamous case involving ACS Law and supposed illegal downloading provides a salutary lesson!!! How many more people use the BBC website??:rotfl:

Exactly.

What is it about this subject that brings out so much misinformation?

TonySimon1979

I'm afraid most of the so called nut jobs are correct.
if you do not "watch or record LIVE television as it is being broadcast then you do not need a television license.

You do not need a licence to:
Own a television set.
Use a television with a games console.
Use a television with a computer.
Use a television to listen to the radio (e.g., via a digibox).
Use a television to watch DVDs, videos, or pre-recorded programmes.
Use a television to watch internet video (e.g., YouTube).
Use a television to watch TV programmes that are not being transmitted live (e.g., iPlayer catchup)...the LIVE stream you do

In January 2006 the Office of National Statistics re-classified the license fee as a tax. Previously, this payment had been classified in the National Accounts as a service charge.

Explaining the change the Office of National Statistics (ONS) says “in line with the definition of a tax, the license fee is a compulsory payment which is not paid solely for access to
BBC services... A license is required to
receive ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5,
satellite, cable”

Page 11 Paragraph 22
HOUSE OF LORDS
Select Committee on BBC Charter Review
2nd Report of Session 2005–06

However, collection of the license fee is under the control of the BBC who outsource collection mainly to Capita.
Not one of the best places for information however wikipedia states
According to the BBC's 2011/12 Annual Report its income can be broken down, as follows:

• £3,606.3 million in license fees collected from householders;
• £222 million from BBC Commercial Businesses;
• £279.4 million from government grants; (paid for again by us)
• £271.9 million from other income, such as providing content to overseas broadcasters and concert ticket sales(they sell the content we pay for to make even more money)

Sorry..content i used to pay for but no longer have the need to pay for as i guess i am just another nut job.

Dexters_Indignation

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

I stopped watching BBC news at 21:33Z on 1982-05-03

Was it the report...

Was it the weather...

Was it this?

almillar

Everyone repeat after TonySimon1979:

if you do not watch or record LIVE television as it is being broadcast then you do not need a television license.

cajef

Not_a_NewHomeExpert wrote: »

Even if you dont watch TV live you still need a TV licence.
Even if you watch online on catch -up

Fixed your user name for you.

techspec

Cornucopia wrote: »

Can we clear this up once and for all?



The key words: as it's being broadcast. Therefore iPlayer with live channels requires a licence, and iPlayer just for catch-up doesn't. When you select a live stream on iPlayer, there is a warning box that comes up asking if you have a licence.

Derrr - i did say watching TV channels.

I never said iplayer etc - you added that bit in for affect.