Batt O'Keeffe
Ceist:59 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Finance if he will review the taxation of telephone rental allowances and television licence allowances to retired ESB staff. [4018/95]
Written Answers - Telephone Rental and TV Licence Allowance.
Telephone rental and television licence allowances paid by an employer to or on behalf of employees, including pensioners, are normally taxable. Any question as to whether these allowances are taxable in the case of retired ESB staff is a matter for the Revenue Commissioners.
In this connection I understand that the Revenue Commissioners have been in discussion with the ESB about the criteria to be used in deciding whether taxation should apply and at this stage it has been agreed by Revenue that taxation would not be an issue where the retired staff satisfy the qualifying conditions under which the same allowances are available to the recipients of certain social welfare pensions.
The ESB is currently establishing which of their retired staff satisfy these conditions. I understand that the ESB will make the results known to Revenue so that the overall picture will be clear prior to 6 April 1995.