Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:221. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance the estimated total level of tax expenditure annually to budget 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33483/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 24 July 2018
Ceisteanna (221, 222)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:222. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance the breakdown annually of the current level of tax expenditures down to budget 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33484/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 222 together.
The figures sought by the Deputy, i.e. “to budget 2018”, which I take as meaning to 10 October 2017 when I produced Budget 2018, are not available.
However, my Department has for the last three years (2015, 2016 and 2017) produced a “Report on Tax Expenditures” in conjunction with the Budget for the following year.
As well as setting out the results of a number of reviews that were completed since the previous budget, it outlines in tabular form the fiscal impact of the range of tax expenditures as required under the EU Budgetary Framework Directive, through providing a list of the extant tax expenditures and where available the number availing of, and revenue forgone in respect of, each for the two most recently available years.
The most recent of these, the "Report on Tax Expenditures 2017" (which was published on 10 October 2017), is available on the Department of Finance website in the “Related Documents” section of the Budget 2018 area at: http://www.budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2018/Documents/Report_on_Tax%20_Expenditures_2017.pdf)
The figures in the 2017 report cover 2015 and 2016 (where available).
The two previous such reports are also to be found on my Department’s website.
It is intended that the Report on Tax Expenditures for 2018 will be published on Budget day this year, and will contain figures (where available) for 2016 and 2017.
I would also draw the Deputy’s attention to a once off paper on tax expenditures that my Department prepared for the 2017 Tax Strategy Group, which looks at tax expenditures as a concept – https://www.finance.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/TSG-17-13-Tax-Expenditures-PL.pdf.