Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2017
255. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding the taxation commission for landlords that his Department put in place after the introduction of rent pressure zones to examine landlords' cost base; when the report of this commission will be finalised; and if it will be made available to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas for scrutiny prior to the budget. [27314/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Strategy for the Rental Sector, published by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in December 2016, committed to the establishment of a working group in early 2017 to examine and report on the tax treatment of landlords (or rental accommodation providers), and to put forward options, where appropriate, for amendments to such treatment. This working group was set up in January 2017, is chaired by the Department of Finance and its membership consists of officials from the Tax and Economics Divisions of the Department of Finance; the Revenue Commissioners; the Housing Division of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (DHPCLG); and the Residential Tenancies Board.
A public consultation lasting for four weeks was conducted from March to April 2017 and the consultation paper asked 10 targeted questions which covered subjects such as mortgage interest relief, capital repayment relief, rental accommodation as a pension investment, the deductibility of various expenses, Capital Gains Tax, long-term tenancies, accidental landlords, the Rent-a-Room Scheme and vacant properties. Individuals had the option to answer any, all, or none of the questions, when making their submissions. The consultation received almost 70 written submissions from a wide range of interested parties, including individual landlords, representative bodies and charitable organisations.
It is estimated that the report of the Working Group will be presented to the Minister for Finance by the end of July 2017, to allow for consideration of any of the options put forward, as part of his or her deliberations for Budget 2018. The normal convention with regard to such reports is that they are published on the budget website (www.budget.gov.ie) on Budget day in conjunction with all other Budget related information.
