[members-discuss] Proposed 2012 Charging scheme, Board comments

Hi Michiel,

100% agree. That would be better charging scheme ;)

Best regards,
    Alexander Schoberl
      SPEEDNIC S.R.L.

Am 05.10.2011 08:23, schrieb Michiel Klaver:
> Dear Nigel,
>
> After some considerations I would like to propose another charging scheme
> alternative, one that could comply with the current tax regulations. The
> basic idea is to treat all members and all their registered objects as
> equal. The scheme would look something like this:
>
> - one basic membership fee for all LIR members;
> - a fee for each registered object, regardless of their size;
>
> This is something comparable like we are already doing with PI objects,
> which already get charged 50 eur/year each. This model just stretches it
> to other objects too (PA ipv4/ipv6 and ASN). Exact values of these fees
> have to be calculated by RIPE NCC treasurer to match the budget, but the
> basic membership fee should be kept low enough to match something like the
> current extra-small category for starting LIRs.
>
> Hoping for some support from other RIPE members and the community, and
> awaiting to see some calculations what values these fees could be set at.
>
> With kind regards,
> Michiel Klaver
>
>
>
> At Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:53:18 +0100, Nigel Titley<nigel at titley.com>  wrote:
>
>> Dear all,
>>
>
>> I would like to update you about the RIPE NCC Executive Board
>> deliberations regarding the draft charging scheme for 2012.
>>
>> We presented you with two draft schemes, in early summer, to gather
>> feedback from you. We did this as we wanted to hear your opinions on
>> measures we want to take which are designed to keep the RIPE NCC
>> financially stable and capable of serving its members as it should.
>>
>> You engaged in a lively discussion on this mailing list, and even ran a
>> mini-survey. We followed the exchanges closely and as result asked
>> RIPE NCC staff to provide the board with another charging scheme option,
>> based on a sliding scale scheme that eliminated the membership
>> categories we currently use.
>>
>> During the board meeting of last Friday, 23 September, we discussed the
>> merits as well as some of the issues of that model. Obviously a sliding
>> scale model as its main benefit does away with the fee jumps of the
>> category based model. We were pleased with the model that we developed
>> with the NCC staff and felt that it addressed many of the issues raised
>> by you, the members.
>>
>> However, in consultation with our tax lawyers we have had to think
>> again. Because it brings a "fee-per-address" flavour to the charging
>> model of the RIPE NCC it fundamentally alters the tax scheme under which
>> we operate. The current "category" model allows us to argue that we are
>> a membership association with different categories  of membership. This
>> brings substantial tax advantages.
>>
>> As you know, for a long time the RIPE NCC tax situation has been
>> extremely favourable, as we don't have to pay corporation tax, based on
>> an agreement made with the Dutch tax authorities many years ago. We are
>> advised that the envisaged change in the charging scheme would lead to a
>> re-assessment of that agreement, with the likely outcome that the
>> association's surplus would have to be taxed, leading to a significant
>> financial liability, with an obvious knock-on effect to the member fees.
>>
>> In the light of this, the board members have agreed not to expose our
>> organisation to that risk, staying with a category based system. We have
>> however noted your preference for reduced "fee jumps" between
>> categories, and have instructed NCC staff to produce a charging scheme
>> model based on 10 categories, doubling the current category number.
>> Category divisions will be based on a count of address space held.
>>
>> This revised Charging Scheme 2012 we will publish, as usual, prior to
>> the General Meeting in November, for approval by the members during the
>> General Meeting. We can advise you already that we are opening up the
>> voting mechanism for all resolutions to include electronic voting, so
>> that all members of the association have a good opportunity to take a
>> full part in the proceedings.
>>
>> At this time, I would like to thank you all, on behalf of the RIPE NCC
>> Executive Board, for participating in the discussion. I look forward to
>> seeing as many of you as possible at the next General Meeting.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Nigel Titley
>> Chairman
>> RIPE NCC Executive Board
>>
>
>
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