Minister suggests state could pay labor taxes for babysitters
The state could pay the labor taxes of babysitters or drivers ferrying around children to reduce families' dependance on employers, Minister of Population Riina Solman (Isamaa) says.
Solman said that the coronavirus crisis has highlighted bottlenecks in marrying professional and family life and taking care of labor taxes would make it easier for families to hire babysitters and drivers.
"Some countries, such as France, for example, have been paying the labor taxes of babysitters for some time. This makes the service more available not just through one's place of work but also when hiring a private sitter," Solman said, adding se plans to take the idea to the government after further analysis.
The minister added that she is not in favor of the proposal by the Estonian Taxpayers' Union not to count using a company vehicle to take kids to schools or kindergarten as a fringe benefit.
Solman said that alternatives could include 24-hour kindergartens or day-care centers maintained by employers and where parents could leave their children late at night.
Failure to coordinate working and family life led to the resignation of Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps on November 20. The daily Õhtuleht observed Reps' ministry driver ferrying her kids to school and hobby school.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski