Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 303: To ask the Minister for Finance the pattern of increases in returns from income tax, corporation profits tax, stamp duty and other tax revenues since 2000; the impact on the economy in the medium to long term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34008/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The table below details the annual rates of change in Exchequer receipts from income tax, corporation tax, stamp duty and the other main tax heads since 2000.

The growth rates of certain tax-heads in certain years were affected by once-off or particular factors. For example, the large year-on-year increase in 2004 Income tax was due to the very significant receipts from the Revenue Commissioners' Special Investigations, most notably the offshore assets investigation, in that year.

Another example is where the very strong growth rate in capital gains tax receipts in 2003 owes much to the due date for the payment of capital gains tax on liable transactions in the first nine months of 2003 being brought forward to the 31st October 2003 from the 31st October 2004. This meant a significant once-off cash-flow gain to the Exchequer.

In addition, corporation tax in each of the years 2002-2006 has been impacted upon by cash-flow yields from the transitional arrangements for bringing forward the payment date from six months after the end of a company's accounting period to one month before the end of the accounting period. However the transition period ends this year and in 2007 there will be a cash-flow loss to the Exchequer from the ending of these transitional arrangements.

Notwithstanding the variations between years in the growth rates for the individual tax-heads, the overall pattern of change in total Exchequer receipts reflects the strength of the economy in the period.