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International Tax Strategy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 November 2013

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Questions (76)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

76. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance the steps taken unilaterally or in conjunction with his EU colleagues to rebut suggestions of the existence of a tax haven here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49801/13]

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Written answers

As I outlined in my Budget speech on 15 October last, reputation is becoming more and more a vital factor in winning foreign direct investment. In the past year the issue of the taxation of multinational corporations has come increasingly to the fore. These are global challenges which require global solutions. Countries cannot resolve these problems by acting on their own. As I have said previously I want Ireland to be involved in this process and that is why on Budget day I published Ireland's International Tax Strategy which sets out Ireland's objectives and commitments in relation to these issues. In addition I have included a change in the recent Finance Bill that will mean Irish registered companies cannot be stateless in terms of their place of tax residency. The Deputy will be aware that within the EU, Governments retain sovereignty over their taxation systems. In that context, I would not be seeking support from my EU colleagues about mis-informed comments about Ireland. Commentators of whatever ilk, are entitled to decide for themselves how to define a tax haven. However, the internationally accepted standard is set down by the OECD, who have identified four criteria to define tax havens. Ireland does not meet any of these criteria. Indeed the Secretary General of the OECD as well as the OECD's head of taxation policy have on several occasions stated quite clearly that Ireland is not a tax haven.

The Deputy will recall that the European Commissioner for Taxation, Algirdas Semeta, was quite categorical about Ireland not being a tax haven when he appeared before a Dáil Committee as part of the preparations for Ireland's Presidency of the EU.

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