Section 25 of the Finance Act, 1987, provides that section 52 (1) of the Finance Act, 1986, which restricts capital allowances for machinery or plant by the amount of any grants effectively paid out of Exchequer funds, will not apply in relation to machinery or plant purchased by a company for use by it in the manufacture of processed food for human consumption.
Statistics are not available which would enable an estimate of the cost or of the value of the qualifying plant and machinery to be given. Such information could not be obtained without undertaking inquiries which could be carried out only at a disproportionate cost.
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that their obligation to observe confidentiality in relation to the taxation affairs of individual taxpayers and small groups of taxpayers precludes them from giving the other information requested by the Deputy. In any event, the Revenue Commissioners have not compiled the information sought and a detailed examination of individual tax files which could be carried out only at a disproportionate cost would be required to obtain it.
