The many employees who have recently been requested by employers to work from their homes, as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, can avail of Revenue’s e-worker tax relief.
Many employees currently, latter who most likely have never directly worked from homes previously, will possibly be totally unaware of this relief that is now correctly available to them.
In excess of 100,000 employees daily already work from home, even before the Covid-19 outbreak. The Revenue commissioners have previously made provisions for these employees to be reimbursed for their work-related expenses, which would include heating, electricity and required broadband costs / expenses. People working from home over the coming weeks, and possibly months into the future, will automatically incur these additional costs.
From a tax perspective, an employer can also pay €3.20 a day to their employees to cover these additional costs. However, since employers have no legal obligation to pay, these expenses still remain eligible for tax relief, which constitutes the right by home-workers to claim tax back.
Note: Any such claims made, must be supported with evidence in the form of receipts and possibly a letter from your employer, indicating that employees worked from home, and that they the employer, have not reimbursed the employee in relation to these expenses.
Last night’s somewhat emotional ‘State of the Irish Nation Address‘ by our caretaker Taoiseach, Mr Leo Varadkar, showed great sincerity, empathy and leadership, while calmly warning this country, as a whole, on what to expect during this Covid-19 global pandemic.
While sincerity and empathy can be classified as welcome personal qualities, Leadership above all is about keeping our small nation collective and driven towards a common goal.
Ely’s Centra, Inver, Slievenamon Road, Thurles.
Meanwhile here in our Thurles community, leadership is being shown by at least two businesses in particular:-
Using Social Media he and his staff state:- “We are open for Business this week. However, with the growing seriousness of the Covid-19 virus in Ireland, please help us by taking on board a few cautious steps & little tips”. If possible, ring in your order on Tel. No. 0504-21447 with an estimated time for collection. (please allow at least 90 minutes) If possible, call/collection, Max of 2 customers in premises together and wait outside until only one customer remains in the premises. We love our customers one & all, however during this difficult time, please keep visits & chit chat short and sweet, we will catch up properly when this all blows over. Please where possible pay by CONTACT LESS. Please keep with guidelines by practising personal protective hygiene. Thank you, Lacey’s Butchers.
Again, using Social Media, the proprietors of Ely’s Supermarket and their staff are offering a ‘Home Delivery Service’. Consumers can call them on Tel. No. 0504-23778, to place their orders. Note also, from here you can obtain DVD/Blu-ray rentals, to keep your children of all ages fully entertained.
Any other businesses wishing to tell us about their leadership efforts in this time of crisis? Why not contact us here on Thurles.Info.
As and from this month (February 2020), disabled drivers and also disabled passengers, whose vehicles are registered as tax exempt, under the drivers and passengers with Disabilities Tax Relief Scheme, will be now exempt from toll charges on every toll road in the Irish State.
So How Will this Scheme Actually Work?
Once a vehicle is registered and has been verified as such, a special identity disc will then be provided for that vehicle identified. This supplied discs should be clearly displayed on the driver’s side of the vehicle’s windscreen.
Disabled drivers and disabled passengers can make their application for such road toll exemptions, by clicking HERE.
Wooden Patio decks (including those pressure treated), Stone Patio’s, Tarmacadam and Cement Walkways can, each surface combined, attract mildew, algae, lichen, liverwort or cyanobacteria called Nostoc. Same is wholly encouraged by our persistent damp, humid, shady conditions, our clean air and more often poor drainage. So how do we rid ourselves of this constant occurring problem?
Many people use washing powder to kill off this growth, spreading it over the offending surface. Same washing powder does work, killing the moss, but leaves behind a brown deceased moss skeleton, which is never easy to shift and if left behind can become slippery, for those not so steady on their trotters.
There is however another product which better solves this algae problem. Its name is Chloras, a product used by Dairy farmers for cleaning and flushing out milking machines.
Warning: Chloras is a bleach, so users are required to take care, as the product is extremely strong. Bleach can damage your clothing and footwear if unnecessarily splashed about. It is therefore advisable to use your Wellington boots, your old overalls, plastic gloves and more importantly, wear good eye protection by way of goggles or safety glasses. Remember bleach is never recommended for use near plants and can discolour certain types of stone. Important Note: Try also to keep your domestic pet off any treated area for a day or two, as the bleach could potentially burn their paws, causing the animal some mild discomfort.
To obtain a quick clean using Chloras, use one-part bleach to ten-parts of water. Same can be spread / sprayed using a watering can with a rose nozzle fitting or a knapsack sprayer. Let the solution sit on the affected surface area for some twenty minutes, before rinsing off, using a yard brush and your garden hose.
Chloras not only kills off all algae, but also the spores present, thus slowing the return of such growth the following year. Used on cemented areas, the surface will be returned to its initial fresh greyish colour.
Chloras is readily available here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary from Centenary Co-Op‘s Meal Store and Fuel Section, situated on the Templemore Road, at Monacocka, Thurles.
The EPA are leading a National Stop Food Waste Week campaign to highlight issues and raise awareness on food waste, beginning today Wednesday June 12th until Wednesday June 19th 2019 inclusive.
Globally, one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption is lost or wasted and every year people in Ireland waste over one million tonnes of food. The campaign aims to motivate people across Ireland to make real changes in how they use the food they buy.
Laura Burke, (Director General, EPA) said,“It takes a lot of resources to put food on our tables. Growing, processing, transport and storage all use massive amounts of energy and water, along with packaging, fertilisers and machinery. This activity generates greenhouses gases which drive climate change, so it is important that we value and carefully use the food we produce.”
“Many of us would like to take action on climate change, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Reducing food waste contributes to lowering our carbon footprint, and we can achieve this through some surprisingly simple actions.”
The four key steps people can take to Stop Food Waste are:- (1.) Know your food waste: Make a list of what you throw out over the next week, this will give you a better understanding where your habits produce waste so you know what to target for improvement.
(2.) Planning and Shopping: Smarter shopping ensures that you don’t waste hard-earned money on food that goes in the bin. Plan your meals (including lunches at work), check the cupboards and fridge before you go, and use a shopping list.Cooking and Storing: Store food properly to make the most of what you have bought to keep food fresher for longer. The Stop Food Waste ‘A-Z of food’ contains tips and advice on how to store and cook various food types. Using leftovers for lunch not only helps reduce food waste, it will also save you money.
(3.) Cooking and Storing: Store food properly to make the most of what you have bought to keep food fresher for longer. The Stop Food Waste ‘A-Z of food’ contains tips and advice on how to store and cook various food types. Using leftovers for lunch not only helps reduce food waste, it will also save you money.
(4.) Bin it better: Use the brown bin (or try home-composting) for the unavoidable food waste you do generate. A recent national study showed that almost 50% of household organic waste is still being disposed of in the “wrong bins”, i.e. recycling or black bin.
Odile Le Bolloch, (EPA Stop Food Waste Manager), spoke about the National Stop Food Waste Week campaign: “Each day during Stop Food Waste week we will be sharing information and resources to help people to Stop Food Waste at work and at home. Our online campaign provides practical tips to help us all reduce waste and make the most of our food. We are also running our new workplace training programme with guidance on tackling food waste both at work and at home.”
Information on stopping food waste at home can be found at www.stopfoodwaste.ie.
For Stop Food Waste week, because the food people buy is not just consumed at home, the EPA are encouraging businesses and employees to target food waste at work.
Stop Food Waste’s top tips to reduce food waste in the workplace are:- (A) Have sharing shelves in the canteen and fridge and let everyone know that food left there is fair game. (B) Events with catering often produce large amounts of food waste. Try a slight under-order; and share any leftovers with colleagues. (C)Store unused food properly for future use, and don’t leave food forgotten in the fridge over the weekend.
To take part in raising awareness, the EPA are inviting businesses around Ireland to sign-up as supporters of Stop Food Waste week and receive posters, daily tips and a chance to win free Stop Food Waste workplace training.
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