Gerald Nash
Question:251. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance the total tax liability outstanding for the temporary wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1645/21]
View answerWednesday, 13 January 2021
Questions (251, 254)
Marian Harkin
Question:254. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons who accessed the temporary wage subsidy scheme and employment wage subsidy scheme during 2020. [1727/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 254 together.
Revenue has recently published its Headline Results for 2020, which are available at link https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/press-office/annual-report/2020/headline-results-2020.pdf. The published information includes the numbers of employers and employees supported through the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) and the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) during 2020.
For 2020, the number of employers and employees supported by the TWSS were 66,600 and 664,500. The number of employers and employees supported by the EWSS in 2020 were 39,800 and 443,100 respectively.
Revenue also publishes weekly updates (since March 2020) with further detail on the operation of the COVID-19 support schemes including TWSS, EWSS and the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), which are available at: https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/number-of-taxpayers-and-returns/covid-19-support-schemes-statistics.aspx .
I am advised by Revenue that it is not yet possible to calculate the exact amount of tax and USC owed by employees on both the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (in the case of the PUP, the liability relates to income tax only; no USC liability arises). However, Revenue has advised me that it expects to publish preliminary statistics in the coming days, setting out provisional figures.
Revenue has also advised me that it will make 2020 Preliminary End of Year Statements available to all employees from 15 January 2021. This Statement will provide employees with a preliminary calculation of their income tax and USC position for 2020 and will indicate whether their tax for the year is balanced, underpaid or overpaid. At that point, employees will be able to claim any additional tax credits due, for example qualifying health expenses, to arrive at their final liability for 2020.
Revenue has assured me that where underpayments still exist after the allocation of all available tax credits for 2020, it will take a very pragmatic approach to collecting these arrears. For example, where it is not possible for a taxpayer to pay the arrears up-front, it will be automatically collected over four years from January 2022 (interest free) by reducing the person’s future tax credits.