Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 January 2022
246. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance the justification for commercial landlords being allowed to write-off their defects levies against their tax liabilities given owner-occupiers and social landlords cannot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3283/22]
View answerThe tax treatment of commercial activities, including the rental of property, typically differs from that which applies to private individuals. For the business owner, the costs associated with running the business may be deductible for tax purposes.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, has established an Independent Working Group to examine the issue of defective housing. Officials from my Department participate in this Working Group. The objectives of the group are to identify the scope of relevant significant defects in housing, to evaluate the scale of housing affected, to propose a means of prioritising defects, to evaluate the cost of remediation, to recommend appropriate mechanisms for resolving defects and, to consider financing options in line with the Programme for Government commitment to identifying options for those impacted by defects to access low-cost, long-term finance.
Separately, my Department's Tax Expenditure Guidelines are clear that a tax-based intervention should only be considered where it would be more efficient than a direct expenditure measure.
