Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 July 2019
78. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the estimated first and full year cost of reducing the €75,000 limit to €40,000, €50,000 and €60,000, respectively, for the special assignee relief programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28756/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra79. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the estimated first and full year cost of extending the special assignee relief programme to employees employed from outside an organisation rather than restricting it to employees moving within an organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28757/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 79 together.
I am advised by Revenue that it is tentatively estimated, without taking account of the potential new employees that may qualify for the Special Assignee Relief Programme (SARP) scheme as a result of the reduced limits, the cost to the Exchequer in terms of income tax foregone, based on those who availed of the relief in 2016, would be:
1. €60,000 limit: €1.28 million and €1.43 million first and full year cost, respectively.
2. €50,000 limit: €2.14 million and €2.38 million first and full year cost, respectively.
3. €40,000 limit: €3 million and €3.33 million first and full year cost, respectively.
In relation to extending the relief to those joining an organisation, as the Deputy may be aware, as part of the SARP review in 2014, the proposal to include employees that were newly employed from outside an organisation rather than restricting it to employees moving within an organisation was considered. The review found that to include new hires in this manner could cause job displacement in the Irish labour market; if, for example, an Irish tax resident individual and a foreign based individual with similar skills both applied for the same job, it would be less costly for the employer to hire the foreign based individual. This would place the Irish tax resident individual at a considerable disadvantage. Notwithstanding this, Revenue advise me that it is not possible to provide an estimate of the first or full year cost of the proposal as there are no data available on the potential take up.
