Results 15,161-15,180 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: The VRT rates and bands are reviewed in the annual Budgetary process and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage. The Deputy will be aware that in last year's Budget, I introduced a 50% VRT relief for flexible fuel vehicles and extended to end-2007 a similar relief that was already in place for hybrid electric cars.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: The maximum amount of qualifying fees allowable under the scheme of tax relief on third level tuition fees, including tuition fees in respect of approved post graduate courses, is €5,000 per academic year at the standard rate of tax. As the Deputy will be aware, I increased the maximum level at which this tax relief is currently allowed from €3,175 in Budget 2005. The maximum qualifying...

Written Answers — Centenarians Bounty: Centenarians Bounty (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Office of the President that the numbers who have received the Centenarians Bounty in 2004, 2005, and to date in 2006, and the total amount expended in the respective years is as follows: (i) Number of recipients (ii) Total Expended € 2004 111 281,940 2005 141 358,140 2006 (to date) 223 570,245 The significant increase in numbers and costs in 2006 is due to...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, in the case referred to by the Deputy, the site was transferred jointly by a grandmother and her daughter to the daughter's child. The stamp duty payable was reduced by fifty percent as all parties to the transfer were related. In order to avail of full relief, the transferee would have to be a child of the person who immediately before the...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: I believe the Deputy may be referring to the Revenue Commissioners' Studies "Effective tax rates of the top 400 earners: Report for the tax year 2001" and "Effective tax rates of the top 400 earners: report for the tax year 2002", which were published in March 2005 and June 2006 respectively. The Revenue Commissioners in paragraph 4 of the report for the tax year 2001 set out changes in the...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the breakdown of stamp duties for the years 2001-2005 inclusive, on a net receipts basis, is in the following table. Description 2001 €m % of Stamp Duty Total 2002 €m % of Stamp Duty Total 2003 €m % of Stamp Duty Total 2004 €m % of Stamp Duty Total 2005 €m % of Stamp Duty Total Property: 671 54.89 666 58.47 1075 64.59 1461...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: Stamp Duty is a charge on documents, which are mostly legal documents, used in the transfer of property. Where a property is purchased, stamp duty is charged on the conveyance or transfer effecting change of legal ownership of the property concerned. If there is no conveyance, there is no stamp duty. A builder or developer can, therefore, obtain a licence from a vendor to build on land...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: The position is that charities and non-profit groups engaged in non-commercial activity are exempt from VAT under the EU Sixth VAT Directive, with which Irish VAT law must comply. This means they do not charge VAT on the services they provide and cannot recover VAT incurred on goods and services that they purchase. Essentially only VAT registered businesses which charge VAT are able to...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: The position is that the rate of VAT that applies to a particular good or service is determined by the nature of the good or service, and not by the status of the customer. The VAT rating of goods and services is subject to the requirements of EU VAT law with which Irish VAT law must comply. There is no provision in European VAT law that would allow for a reduction or exemption from VAT on...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the most recent year for which complete information on cost to the Exchequer and numbers of claimants for tax relief in relation to local authority service charges is for the income tax year 2003. In that year an estimated number of 169,300 claimants availed of the tax relief for the service charges at an estimated cost to the Exchequer of...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: The operation of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme was reviewed by a special Interdepartmental Review Group. The terms of reference of the Group were to examine the operation of the existing scheme, including the difficulties experienced by the various groups and individuals involved with it, and to consider the feasibility of alternative schemes, with a...

Written Answers — Tax Yield: Tax Yield (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: As the Deputy will appreciate the tax affairs of individual taxpayers are a matter for the Revenue Commissioners and are confidential between the taxpayer concerned and Revenue. Section 17 of Finance Act 2006 provides, in general, that the tax free income allowed to artists is limited to 50% of the artist's income for tax purposes including the artistic income. Where artist's income for tax...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Sep 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) is charged on the open market selling price (OMSP) of a vehicle in the State. OMSP is defined in Section 133 of the Finance Act 1992 and is the price inclusive of all taxes and duties which a vehicle may reasonably be expected to fetch on a first arm's length sale in the open market in the State by retail. The OMSP...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the Back to Work Allowance is administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the person concerned should make enquiries with that Department as regards qualification for the allowance. The position is that €6,051.99 was the total of the person's tax credits for 2005 and the corresponding figure for 2006 is €6,425.80....

Written Answers — Public Procurement Contracts: Public Procurement Contracts (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The Government in mid 2004 decided to reform construction procurement to help achieve greater cost certainty, better value for money and more cost effective delivery of public works projects. My Department, with the assistance of the Government Contracts Committee for Construction (GCCC), specialist legal drafters and external technical expertise, has now developed a suite of Standard Forms...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: My Department's Vote provides for Grants-in-Aid to two non-Governmental bodies, the Institute of Public Administration and the Economic and Social Research Institute. These bodies have been provided with the following funding in the period in question. Year Agency/Organisation Amount € 2004 Economic and Social Research Institute 2,944,000 2005 Economic and Social...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they have examined the person's income tax affairs for the years 2005 and 2006 and have ascertained that the one parent family credit has been correctly included in her tax credits for the years in question. However as she is in receipt of a lone parent allowance (which is a taxable source of income) her annual tax credits have been reduced to...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: Under the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme, the number of appeals determined and the number granted by the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal during the last 5 years is set out in the following table. Year Appeals determined Appeals granted 2001 160 30 2002 96 17 2003 25 7 2004 27 7 2005 243 96 2006 231* 70* *Figures as at...

Written Answers — : (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: The operation of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme was reviewed by a special Interdepartmental Review Group. The terms of reference of the Group were to examine the operation of the existing scheme, including the difficulties experienced by the various groups and individuals involved with it, and to consider the feasibility of alternative schemes, with a...

Written Answers — Special Savings Incentive Scheme: Special Savings Incentive Scheme (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together. It is not possible to give the income decile analysis requested as the scheme has 10 months to run and in that period the data are subject to a number of variables including for example where participants voluntarily withdraw from the scheme or vary their monthly contributions. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that it is not...