Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of tax repaid under the retirement relief for certain sportspersons in each year since 2000; if he will provide a breakdown for each sport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54333/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The scheme which provides that qualifying sportspersons, whether in a professional or semi professional capacity, are entitled, on retirement, to income tax relief was introduced in Finance Act 2002. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that information on the estimated cost to the Exchequer of the tax relief on retirement for qualifying sportspersons is set out in the following table for the income tax years 2003 to 2010 inclusive. 2010 is the latest year for which the necessary detailed data is available.

Retirement relief for Qualifying Sportspersons

Any claims which may have been received for years prior to 2003 are dealt with separately and the amounts involved are not centrally recorded. There is, therefore, no basis on which to provide the information requested in respect of those applications.

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that information on tax relief on retirement for qualifying sportspersons is not captured in such a way as to provide a basis for compiling a breakdown of the estimated cost of the relief by reference to sports code. Even if such a breakdown was available the obligation of the Revenue Commissioners to observe confidentiality in relation to the tax affairs of individual taxpayers or small groups of taxpayers would preclude them from providing it.