The period 2007-2015 has been one of significant economic turmoil and change for the Republic of Ireland. This paper focuses on issues relating to taxation, and in particular the forms of taxation that applied to incomes, over those years. It first outlines overall trends in taxation during the period including a profile of revenues under the various categories of taxation. Subsequently, it focuses on changes to income related taxes introduced across a series of ten Budgets between 2007 and 2015 including the introduction of the Universal Social Charge (USC).
The onset of a much delayed period of economic stability, one slowly unfolding, offers an opportunity to reform and, ideally, improve the Republic of Ireland’s current system of income related taxes. As these provide approximately 37% of total taxation revenues there is merit in doing this slowly and in the context of ensuring a sustainable and stable revenue source for the decades to come.
This paper offers a review of the current system, set in the context of changes over recent years and serves as a contribution to an ongoing NERI research project on reforms to taxation.