Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:340. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance his plans to extend the stay and spend tax credit initiative beyond April 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16894/21]
View answerWednesday, 31 March 2021
Questions (340, 344)
Aindrias Moynihan
Question:344. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Finance the consideration being taken to extend the spend and stay scheme given that with the new level 5 restrictions persons are not able to avail of this scheme currently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1818/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 340 and 344 together.
The purpose of the Stay and Spend Tax Credit scheme is to provide targeted support to businesses within the hospitality sector whose operations are likely to be most affected by continued restrictions on public health grounds. Under the relevant legislation, the scheme is due to expire at the end of next month but the flexibility is there to extend it further to the end of the year subject to certain statutory procedures being followed.
Since 1 October 2020, a total of 59,172 receipts have been uploaded to the Revenue Receipts Tracker, as at 25 March 2021. The related expenditure recorded on these receipts amounts to €9,722,399, and the potential tax cost is €1,944,480, assuming all such expenditure is claimed and qualifies in full for tax relief. As at 25 March, 3,145 service providers have registered for the scheme.
The scheme was developed at a time when there appeared to be a steady downward trend in infection rates and there was an expectation that the re-opening of the economy could be sustained uninterrupted. Unfortunately, this has not been the case and, with the exception of some short periods, public health restrictions have had the effect of impeding the operation of the incentive as originally envisaged.
Decisions on next steps relating to the scheme have yet to be taken. However, I would make the point that Stay and Spend should not be viewed in isolation from the other significant measures put in place to support businesses generally, including the hospitality sector.
In recognition of the unprecedented challenges facing the Hospitality and Tourism sector, the VAT rate was reduced from 13.5% to 9% from 1 November 2020. This is a temporary but important measure to provide support to the sector, where many businesses remain closed for now and those that are open are operating at significantly reduced capacity. It will apply until 31 December 2021. It should be noted that this VAT rate reduction came after the introduction of the Stay and Spend Tax Credit and reflects the fact that the latter was not intended to be the sole sector-specific support for hospitality.
Also, the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) continues to be a key component of the Government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis to support viable firms and encourage employment in the hospitality and tourism sector and beyond. I have been clear that there will be no cliff-edge to the EWSS and, as announced by Government last month, the scheme is being extended in its enhanced form to the end of June 2021.
The Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) is a targeted support for businesses significantly impacted by restrictions introduced by the Government under public health regulations to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The support is available to companies, self-employed individuals and partnerships who carry on a trade or trading activities, the profits from which are chargeable to tax under Case I of Schedule D, from a business premises located in a region subject to restrictions introduced in line with the Living with COVID-19 Plan.
Businesses may also be eligible under the Debt Warehousing Scheme to ‘park’ certain VAT and PAYE (Employer) liabilities, excess payments received under the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), outstanding balances of self-assessed Income Tax for 2019 and Preliminary Tax for 2020.