asked the Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of exempting Irish newspapers from VAT.
Written Answers. - VAT on Newspapers.
260.
Reliable figures of the cost of VAT relief for newspapers, whether Irish or foreign, cannot be extracted from the aggregate figure of the cost of relief for newspapers and periodicals, which is £30 million in a full year.
It is considered, however, that the cost of zero-rating Irish newspapers (to which I assume the Deputy is referring) would be roughly of the order of £19 million in a full year; for all newspapers it would be about £22 million.
I would mention that obligations of EEC membership impose constraints on the application of tax on products of other member states in excess of that applied to similar domestic products. Similar constraints are imposed on the introduction of additional VAT zero-ratings.