Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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217. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by reducing the earnings cap for pension contributions from €115,000 to €70,000. [31237/14]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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218. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by standardising the rate of relief awarded in respect of pension contributions. [31238/14]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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219. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by standardising the rate of relief awarded in respect of pension contributions, excluding those of public sector workers. [31239/14]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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220. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by reducing the earnings cap for pension contributions from €115,000 to €70,000 and standardising the rate of tax relief awarded in respect of pension contributions. [31240/14]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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221. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by reducing the earnings cap for pension contributions from €115,000 to €70,000 and standardising the rate of tax relief awarded in respect of such contributions, excluding those made by public sector workers. [31241/14]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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222. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by reducing the earnings cap relating to pension contributions from €115,000 to €70,000 and standardising the rate of relief awarded in respect of such contributions for those with salaries in excess of €50,000 and €60,000, respectively, per annum. [31242/14]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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223. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by reducing the earnings cap relating to pension contributions from €115,000 to €70,000 and standardising the rate of relief awarded in respect of such contributions for those in the private sector with salaries in excess of €50,000 and €60,000, respectively, per annum, and excluding those contributions made by public sector workers. [31243/14]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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224. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by standardising the rate of relief awarded in respect of all pension contributions for those with salaries in excess of €50,000 per annum. [31244/14]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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226. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by increasing the imputed distribution rate for ARFs and PRSAs by 1% in both bands under and over €2 million, bringing the rates to 6% and 7%, respectively. [31246/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 to 224, inclusive, and 226 together.

In the time available, having regard to the volume of questions, Revenue are not in a position to provide the information sought. However, I will arrange for the information to be supplied directly to the Deputy.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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225. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by reducing the tax exemption for lump sum pension payments on retirement to €80,000 and taxing the balance at the marginal rate. [31245/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The following arrangements currently apply to retirement lump sums paid under pension arrangements approved by the Revenue Commissioners. Lump sum amounts up to €200,000 are paid free of tax. They are also paid free of USC. The portion of a lump sum between €200,001 and €575,000 is taxed on a ring-fenced basis at 20%. This means that no tax credits or other tax reliefs can be set against this portion of the lump sum. No USC is chargeable. Any amount of a lump sum in excess of €575,000 is taxed at the individual's marginal rate of tax (credits and other tax reliefs are available). In this instance, USC is chargeable on the excess. These amounts are lifetime amounts with prior lump sums aggregating with later lump sums.

As there is no general requirement for data on retirement lump sums to be returned to my Department or to the Revenue Commissioners, I am not in a position to provide definitive figures on the Exchequer impact of reducing the tax-free retirement lump sum amount from €200,000 to €80,000. Furthermore, details of the marginal rate of income tax that each individual would pay on a taxable lump sum pension payment in the scenario outlined in the Deputy's question are not available. Based on broad assumptions and an extrapolation of certain available data in relation to the public service, it is estimated that the additional tax yield from taxing lump sums of €80,000 and over at the higher income tax rate of 41% could be about €20 million in a full year.

I have no data on which to provide a similar estimate in relation to the private sector. I should point out, however, that one significant difference between public sector and private sector pension schemes is that private sector schemes invariably allow scheme members the option of commuting part of their pension fund for a tax-free lump sum. The option of receiving benefits in the form of pension only is not available to members of public sector schemes. Depending on the impact of any new tax charge on retirement lump sums, the option to commute part of a pension fund may no longer be exercised by private sector pension scheme members or may be exercised in a manner that reduces the value of the lump sum taken to minimise or avoid any immediate tax charge.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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227. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by increasing the stamp duty on share transactions from 1% to 1.5%. [31247/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the full year yield to the Exchequer from increasing Stamp Duty on share transactions from 1% to 1.5%, by reference to the expected 2014 outturn, is estimated to be in the region of an additional €143 million.  A partial estimate is not provided as Stamp Duty is payable at time of transfer of the relevant stock or marketable security.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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228. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by increasing Revenue Commissioners' personnel by 125 qualified persons to target tax evasion and black-market activity, as per the Revenue Commissioners' contribution to the initial comprehensive review of spending. [31248/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners that Revenue's Comprehensive Review of Expenditure 2011 noted that by increasing audit, investigation and compliance resources by c.125 staff an additional exchequer yield of €100m per annum could be achieved.  In addition it noted that there is a significant deterrent and voluntary compliance effect on behaviour of an effective, risk based compliance programme.  The additional yield was based on an estimate that each additional fully trained auditor has the capacity to bring in an average of €800,000 in audit yield.  The investment in the training and development of a Revenue Auditor can take up to three years, depending on previous relevant experience. Therefore the full additional yield would not be available immediately.

Revenue undertakes a range of risk management interventions to target and confront those who do not comply, including tax evasion and black market activity. The objective is that people are deterred from filing inaccurate returns and from engaging in shadow economy activity and smuggling.  The range of interventions has increased since 2011. Interventions include appraisals, aspect queries, profile interviews, assurance checks, enforcement, investigation and prosecutions, as well as audits.  The appropriate intervention depends on the relevant risk. The average rate of return on each type of intervention varies depending on the intervention.  In some types of interventions to tackle evasion and the black economy, such as enforcement, the focus is on the detection of drugs and fiscal smuggling where the direct exchequer yield is not the immediate objective.

It must also be recognised that Revenue has to prioritise its resources and must, for example, encourage voluntary compliance by making it easier and less costly to comply. I am satisfied that Revenue appropriately prioritises its available resources to achieve the strategic objective of a more tax and customs compliant society and a Revenue Administration that fosters economic recovery and development.  The 2015-2017 Comprehensive Review process is on-going. Revenue proposes to publish its Comprehensive Review of Expenditure 2014 when the deliberative process is completed.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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229. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by standardising the relief relating to investment in film. [31249/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that on the basis of claims for investment in film relief for the tax year 2013, the latest full year available, the theoretical maximum yield from standardising the rate of Income Tax relief for investment in film production could be in the region of €35 million. The Deputy should be aware, however, that the current scheme of Income Tax relief for investment in film production is due to end in 2015. The scheme is being replaced by a new scheme of Corporation Tax relief to Film Producer Companies.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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230. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by standardising investment in rented residential relief under section 23. [31250/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that, as Section 23 relief is included in aggregated loss claims after the first year of claim, tax returns do not provide a basis for compiling estimates for the yield from standardising relief for all claims under the Section. If the Deputy had in mind to standardise the relief for properties that are yet to claim Section 23 relief for the first time, it is tentatively estimated, based on analysis of first time claimants in previous years' tax returns, that the Exchequer yield could be around €5 million over the period of claim.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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231. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by reducing mortgage interest deductions against rent for landlords from 75% to 41%, 40%, 35% and 30%, respectively. [31251/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that a breakdown between rent received from residential and other types of property is not sought or provided in tax returns. However, based on personal Income Tax returns filed by non-PAYE taxpayers for the year 2012, the latest year for which this information is available, and making certain assumptions about the data, it is estimated that the revenue that could be raised from reducing the level at which individuals can claim interest repayments against tax for residential rental properties from 75% to 41% , 40%, 35% and 30% may be in the region of €130 million, €134 million, €153 million and €172 million respectively. It should be noted that these estimates do not include returns by some PAYE taxpayers. However, a PAYE taxpayer with non-PAYE income greater than €3,174 is required to complete an Income Tax return Form 11. This return is the source of the figures provided in this reply in respect of individuals.

Rental income of companies is returned as net of interest on borrowings and the figures for interest are not separately distinguished in Corporation Tax returns. There is, therefore, no basis for an estimate of the cost of reducing the tax relief for corporate landlords. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the estimated cost of interest relief on residential properties is based on assuming that tax relief is allowed at the Income Tax rate of 41% and the figures provided could therefore be regarded as the maximum Exchequer cost in respect of those taxpayers. This figure is subject to adjustment in the event of late returns being filed or where returns already filed are subsequently amended.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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232. To ask the Minister for Finance the partial and full-year revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by increasing withholding tax on royalties, where it applies, from 20% to 22%, 23%, 24% and 25%, respectively. [31252/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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In the time available, having regard to the volume of questions, Revenue are not in a position to provide the information sought. However, I will arrange for the information to be supplied directly to the Deputy.