The government of Ireland is seeing a pickup in national tax collection levels, although the revenues are still marginally behind expectations. The Department of Finance of Ireland has released its national Exchequer Statement for the first five month of the 2011 calendar year. The latest publication shows that in the five months of 2011 tax revenues in Ireland grew by 5.6 percent if compared to the same period in 2010. By the end of May Irish tax authorities had received EUR 12.8 billion ... Read More

The Green Party of Ireland has suggested that the tax treatment of national broadcasting services should be overhauled and a new tax needs to be instated on internet use. On February 15th Eamon Ryan, former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources of Ireland, released a statement claiming that a small tax should instated on the usage of internet in Ireland. Eamon Ryan is campaigning as a Green Party candidate in the 2011 general elections, and the tax overhaul will be one of ... Read More

Tax revenues in Ireland have exceeded Government expectations for the 2010 year, with end-of-year total being reported at EUR 703 million above estimates. On January 5th the Department of Finance of Ireland released the 2011 Analysis of End Year Tax Receipts, which summarizes the country's tax revenue results for the 2010 calendar year. The publication shows that over the period total tax revenues reached EUR 31.75 billion, approximately 2.3 percent (EUR 703 million) above the Government’s own revenue estimates. However, compared to the ... Read More

One of Ireland's leading opposition parties has released a proposal outlining several measures which it claims will aid the country's economic recovery, including a new personal income tax bracket, reductions in wasteful public-sector spending, and greater taxation of wealthy individuals. On November 1st Sinn Féin officially released its pre-budgetary plan, which outlines the party's own proposals for the December national budget announcement. Sinn Féin claims that the new economic ideas stipulated in the plan could stimulate long-term growth in the economy while efficiently ... Read More

The Irish Government is facing increasing pressure to revise its tax policies in order to decrease the ballooning budget deficit and stem the slashing of government spending. Speaking in New York on October 10th Brian Lenihan, Finance Minister of Ireland, revealed that in the face of the December budget announcement the Government is inspecting all possible fiscal options and adjustments to reduce its budget deficit. Cuts to welfare payments and pensions were specifically mentioned, along with possible increases to some tax rates and ... Read More