Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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107. To ask the Minister for Finance the additional income tax payable by a single person earning €60,000 who makes a pension contribution of 10% of gross salary if pension tax relief was restricted to 30%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41346/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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108. To ask the Minister for Finance the additional income tax payable by a single person earning €70,000 who makes a pension contribution of 10% of gross salary if pension tax relief was restricted to 30%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41347/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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109. To ask the Minister for Finance the additional income tax payable by a single person earning €80,000 who makes a pension contribution of 10% of gross salary if pension tax relief was restricted to 30%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41348/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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110. To ask the Minister for Finance the additional income tax payable by a single person earning €100,000 who makes a pension contribution of 10% of gross salary if pension tax relief was restricted to 30%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41349/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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111. To ask the Minister for Finance the additional income tax payable by a single person earning €80,000 who makes a pension contribution of 10% of gross salary if pension tax relief was restricted to 30% and the earnings cap for pensions contributions was reduced to €70,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41350/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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112. To ask the Minister for Finance the additional income tax payable by a single person earning €100,000 who makes a pension contribution of 10% of gross salary if pension tax relief was restricted to 30% and the earnings cap for pensions contributions was reduced to €70,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41351/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 to 112, inclusive, together.

At the outset, it is important to note that the maximum annual amount of tax-relieved pension contributions that an individual can contribute to their pension arrangements is restricted to an age-related percentage limit of remuneration and is further subject to an overall earnings cap, which currently stands at €115,000. In essence, an individual can make tax relievable pension contributions up to the lower of the relevant age-related percentage of their actual remuneration and the relevant age related percentage of €115,000. The age related percentage limits are set out in Table 1 below.

Table 1

In the first four questions, both the level of earnings stipulated, ranging from €60,000 to €100,000, and the level of contribution at 10% of gross earnings in all cases, are lower than both the age-related percentage limit (at all ages) and the earnings limit referred to above. The additional income tax that would be payable by single persons in those circumstances if tax relief was reduced from 41% to 30% is set out in the following table.

Table 2

In the last two questions, the scenarios outlined are ones where, in addition to a reduction in the rate of tax relief on pension contributions from 41% to 30%, the earnings limit is reduced from €115,000 to €70,000. As indicated earlier, individuals can make tax-relievable pension contributions up to the lower of the relevant age-related percentage of their actual remuneration and the relevant age-related percentage of the earnings limit. In both of these scenarios, for the individuals concerned, notwithstanding that the earnings limit at €70,000 is below their gross annual earnings, the rate of contribution at 10% of their gross earnings leaves them unaffected by the change. In other words, as the following table illustrates, a pension contribution of 10% of €80,000. i.e. €8,000, is less than the maximum contribution allowed by the age-related percentage of the proposed lower earnings limit of €70,000, at all ages. The same holds for a contribution of 10% of gross earnings of €100,000. In the particular scenarios outlined in the questions, therefore, no additional income tax would be payable as a result of the reduction in the earnings limit over and above that outlined in Table 2.

Table 3

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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113. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal tax credits for persons with income over €100,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41352/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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114. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal tax credits for persons with income over €125,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41353/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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115. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal tax credits for persons with income over €150,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41354/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal tax credits for persons with income over €175,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41355/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal tax credits for persons with income over €200,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41356/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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118. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal and employee tax credits for persons with income over €100,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41357/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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119. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal and employee tax credits for persons with income over €125,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41358/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal and employee tax credits for persons with income over €150,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41359/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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121. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal and employee tax credits for persons with income over €175,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41360/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal and employee tax credits for persons with income over €200,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41361/13]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing personal and employee tax credits for persons with income over €200,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41362/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 to 123, inclusive, together.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal tax credits for income earners earning over €100,000 would be of the order of €320 million.

The estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal tax credits for income earners earning over €125,000 would be of the order of €180 million.

The estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal tax credits for income earners earning over €150,000 would be of the order of €115 million.

The estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal tax credits for income earners earning over €175,000 would be of the order of €80 million.

The estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal tax credits for income earners earning over €200,000 would be of the order of €60 million.

The estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal and employee tax credits for income earners earning over €100,000 would be of the order of €500 million.

The estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal and employee tax credits for income earners earning over €125,000 would be of the order of €270 million.

The estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal and employee tax credits for income earners earning over €150,000 would be of the order of €165 million.

The estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal and employee tax credits for income earners earning over €175,000 would be of the order of €115 million.

The estimated full year yield to the Exchequer, estimated by reference to 2013 incomes, of abolishing the main personal and employee tax credits for income earners earning over €200,000 would be of the order of €80 million.

It should be noted that the income ranges referred to above relate to Gross Income as defined in Revenue Statistical Report 2011.

These figures are estimates from the Revenue tax-forecasting model using actual data for the year 2010 adjusted as necessary for income and employment trends in the interim. They are therefore provisional and likely to be revised. It should also be noted that a married couple who has elected or has been deemed to have elected for joint assessment is counted as one tax unit. Depending on the incomes of the couples concerned, they may be in a position to elect for separate assessment, which could result in their tax liability remaining unchanged by the proposals above.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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124. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from abolishing rent relief from 1 January 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41363/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Section 473 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides tax relief at the standard rate to individuals who pay for private rented accommodation that is used as their sole or main residence. The level of rent qualifying for rent relief depends on an individual’s marital status and age. In Budget 2011, it was announced that rent relief was being withdrawn on a phased basis. No new claimants were allowed from 7 December 2010 but existing claimants will continue to receive the relief, on a reducing basis, with a complete cessation of the relief from 2018. This is in line with the schedule proposed for the withdrawal of mortgage interest relief. The scheduled withdrawal of rent relief is set out in the following table:

It is assumed that the deputy has in mind the abolition of the remaining 50% of the relief with immediate effect from 1 January 2014. On that basis a residual saving to the Exchequer of €42 million would arise in respect of 2014, based on the 2011 costs of the scheme, the latest year for which historical data are available. That amount would represent an estimated increase of €34m over the saving expected for 2014 under the original plan for phased reduction.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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125. To ask the Minister for Finance the yield that would be achieved from applying a 20% levy to the profits in Ireland of tobacco companies in order to fund smoking related health measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41364/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to the proposal to introduce a price cap on the pre-tax price of tobacco as proposed by the Irish Cancer Society and the Irish Heart Foundation in their pre-Budget submission. Preliminary advice on this suggests that any proposal to interfere with the ability of manufacturers to set the maximum price level for tobacco is a breach of Council Directive 2011/64/EU on the structure and rates of excise duty applied to manufactured tobacco.