I am one of a group of housewives who, for only a few weeks a year (about three weeks in January and three weeks in June), work as invigilators at the University of Malta.

We have to pay a lot of exaggerated tax on the little money we earn because our earnings are added to those of our husband and thus we are taxed according to his income. Some of us earned €200 and paid €64 in tax last year (2012) as our husband’s income is taxed at 25 per cent, 30 per cent or 35 per cent.

This old and unfair law regarding housewives doing a little work and having their earnings added to those of their husband is unjust. Please, Dr Joseph Muscat, hear our plea; after all, everyone has an income tax threshold, even students, so what about us?

We wrote and pleaded with Dr Gonzi, but all in vain. Can someone please at least hear us? Some of us are still in our forties and this has been going on for too long.

We feel deprived of the small amount of pocket money we earn and it is misery to earn €100 and pay €32 in tax. Please, Dr E. Scicluna, read this and do something about it, because this unjust old housewives’ tax is driving us mad. We wonder if this happens anywhere else in the EU!

Mary Zammit

BIRKIRKARA