merrion street

As part of Ireland’s International Tax Strategy, published on Budget Day in October 2013, the Department of Finance set out an International Tax Charter outlining the principles and strategic objectives that guide Ireland’s approach to international corporate tax issues.

One of these principles is a commitment to engage constructively and respectfully with developing countries in relation to tax matters, to support such countries in raising domestic tax revenues in ways that are more efficient, that promote good governance and equitable development, and that can allow them to eventually exit from a dependence on official development assistance.

As part of this commitment, and in response to calls from the G-20 and from civil society groups for all countries to have an awareness of this issue in formulating tax policy, the Minister for Finance has decided to undertake a ‘spillover analysis’ to research what impact, positive or negative, Ireland’s tax system may have on the economies of developing countries.

Two documents relating to this research project have been published today:

1. A request for Proposal/Tender outlining the project aims, and requesting that prospective consultants complete tenders including a discussion of suitable methodologies for the project has been published on E-Tenders.

2. A public consultation document has been published on the Department’s website, inviting interested parties to make submissions on the subject. Relevant submissions received will be considered by the Department and by the appointed consultants as part of the research project.

This research project is to be conducted by consultants, and will be overseen by a steering group consisting of officials from the Department of Finance and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

A public consultation document has been published on the Department’s website today, inviting interested parties to make submissions on this subject. Relevant submissions received will be considered by the Department and by the appointed consultants as part of the research project.

Following on from the recent publication of a Technical Paper on Effective Rates of Corporation Tax in Ireland, this research and consultation process also forms part of our broader work in relation to corporation tax policy issues in what is now a fast-evolving international tax policy environment.