Robert Troy
Question:92. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost in a full year based on latest data of a proposal to extend the foreign earnings deduction to non-EEA countries. [43762/19]
View answerWednesday, 23 October 2019
Questions (92)
Written answers
The Foreign Earnings Deduction applies to taxpayers who work abroad during a tax year and one of the conditions of receiving the deduction is that the taxpayer must work in a relevant state, of which there are 30 eligible states. All of these 30 relevant states are non-EEA states. In 2017, the most recent year for which data are available, the incentive cost €3.9 million and benefitted some 591 individuals.
I am advised by Revenue that given the number of variable factors involved, for example, the extra uptake as a result of the broadening of the incentive to all non-EEA States; the number of qualifying days that might be worked abroad; and the salary level of the additional taxpayers that may take up this deduction, it is not possible to estimate the additional cost to the Exchequer of the Deputy's proposal with any degree of reliability.