Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 319: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of companies paying corporation tax in each year since 1997 and the forecast for 2004; and the corporation tax paid and the distribution of companies and revenue between foreign-owned and domestic companies and between companies traditionally eligible for the 10% rate and the standard rate for tax paying companies. [25133/04]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The number of companies which indicated on their tax return forms that they were liable to pay corporation tax for each of the years from 1997 to 2002 is set out below. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that statistics on the amount of corporation tax paid by foreign-owned companies are not separately available. However, data can be derived from corporation tax returns on the percentage of corporation tax liability attributable to companies taxed wholly or partly at the reduced rate of 10%. This information, which is available for accounting periods ending between 1 April 1997 and 31 December 2002, the latest available, is as set out below.

The figures shown as the corporation tax liability of companies qualifying for the 10% relief reflect the total tax liability of these companies on all their profits, including those profits taxed at other rates. It is not possible to isolate the tax attributable solely to the effective 10% rate in such cases because certain reliefs relating to income liable for tax at both the standard and reduced rates are set off against the overall tax liability after the relief at 10% has been computed. The budget forecast for corporation tax receipts for the year 2004 is €5.384 billion.