Author: Practicenet

The State loses approximately €21.4 billion in revenue each year in what are known as “tax expenditures”. These include the wide range of reliefs and reductions allowable to individuals and families under income tax and other taxes, but also the generous tax shelters allowed to firms and foreign executives domiciled here. University College Dublin economist […]

A leading indicator for the economy recorded its slowest pace of growth since May 2013 in a warning sign ahead of Britain’s exit from the European Union. The AIB Ireland Composite Purchasing Managers Index headline reading dropped to 54.2 at the start of 2019, down from 56.3 in December. While a reading over 50 still […]

Ireland’s robust economic performance faces an ‘existential threat’ from a no-deal Brexit, the stockbroking firm warned in its latest quarterly ‘health check’ on the Irish economy. “We assume that the UK will leave the EU in an orderly manner on March 29, or more likely later, but the risks have risen over recent weeks of […]

With mortgage approvals for first-time buyers down in December and new housing output in Dublin falling, the outlook for the housing market in 2019 is uncertain. The Irish banks approved 2,908 new mortgages in December 2018 with a total value of €656m. There was an almost 6pc increase in the number of new mortgages approved […]

Three out of four Irish people think automation and robots will cause unemployment, a new survey claims. However, the iReach poll also says that most people believe robots will be good for the economy, estimating that the jobs under threat may exclude their own. The poll of 1,000 people found that just 16pc see “no […]

The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) may take equity stakes in Irish businesses to help them overcome Brexit, and is willing to inject more than €10m into individual companies. Ireland’s sovereign wealth fund said it would use its capital to support companies with UK exposure. Isif director Eugene O’Callaghan said the fund would be more […]

Q: I am meeting a buyer of one of the Irish non-food retailers. It could be a huge breakthrough in scaling-up my product, can you give me any advice? A: It is great to get this opportunity, but you need to be aware that very often these meetings can be a once in a lifetime […]

Bailed-out bank Permanent TSB is changing the rules for those with its older current accounts, in a move that will mean thousands of them will end up paying fees. The new terms and conditions will make it harder to qualify for fee-free banking. Customers who do not qualify for free banking will have to pay […]

Ireland’s corporation tax revenues are under threat as an international reform process kicks off in earnest. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is looking to change the way big technology companies are taxed. It has now said it will consider moving to a system where companies will be taxed, at least in part, […]

THERE is no effective protection for vulnerable consumers from the activities of moneylenders, it was claimed. The Oireachtas Finance Committee was told credit unions are struggling to roll out a scheme to compete with moneylenders because the State-designed scheme is loss-making and bureaucratic for them. Just half of credit unions offer the ‘It Makes Sense […]