Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 168:

In page 66, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: “Report on tax deduction for apartment management charges

55.The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on the tax deduction of apartment management fees, and the introduction of RTB-registered tenancy and the prior payment of management charges as conditions for tax deduction eligibility.”.

This amendment calls on the Minister to prepare a note or report on the issue of tax deduction of apartment management fees and lay it before the Dáil, as well as the introduction of RTB-registered tenancy and prior payment of management charges as conditions for tax deduction eligibility. It is a simple proposal and I hope it is one to which the Minister can agree. Obviously, the report does not have to be inserted into the Bill. If the Minister is agreeable to considering this issue and coming back to it on Report Stage, that would make sense.

The situation is that landlords are entitled to avail of a tax deduction for management fees that have been incurred and invoiced. That is appropriate. We are not suggesting it is inappropriate. We are saying that two things should be attached as conditionality for landlords to be able to avail of that tax deduction, namely, that the tenancy should be registered with the RTB - I do not think anybody would disagree with that - and that they must show that the management charges were paid. I think that is appropriate because apartment owners have raised the issue consistently with Oireachtas Members, including the Sinn Féin spokesperson on housing, Deputy Ó Broin, of the deduction being claimed in circumstance where an invoice may have issued but the management charges had not been paid. The amendment is about making sure that those conditions are met.