Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Finance the 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. [25275/15]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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102. To ask the Minister for Finance the revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by increasing the imputed distribution rate for approved retrirement funds and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts by 1% in both bands, under and over €2 million, bringing the rates to 6% and 7% respectively. [25276/15]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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128. To ask the Minister for Finance the annual revenue that would be generated from capping relief for employer pension contributions to €75,000 per annun, per employee. [25305/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 101, 102 and 128 together.

As regards the first question, I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners, that as there is no requirement to  include data in tax returns in relation to tax free lumps of less than €200,000 (the current life-time limit on tax-free retirement lump sums), that they are not in a position to quantify estimated savings to the Exchequer in the event of the reduction of the tax free lump sum entitlement  to €80,000.

Regarding  the second question, an annual imputed distribution rate of 4% or 5% applies, as appropriate, to approved retirement funds (ARFs) with asset values of €2 million or less and also to vested Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs where benefits have commenced) on the same basis. A higher imputed distribution rate of 6% applies to ARFs and/or vested PRSAs with asset values of more than €2 million.  I assume the Deputy is suggesting an increase in the imputed distribution from 6% to 7% for ARFs and/or vested  PRSAs of more than €2 million  in value and an increase from 4% or 5%, as appropriate, to 6% where the asset values are less than  €2 million.  I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that information provided to them in the context of the tax paid on these deemed or imputed distributions does not include information on the value of the ARFs and/or vested PRSAs out of which the distributions are deemed to arise. There is therefore no basis on which a definitive estimate of the impact on the Exchequer of the change mentioned in the question could be compiled. It is important to note that the deemed or imputed distribution measure is designed to encourage drawdowns from ARFs and vested PRSAs so that they are used, as intended, to fund a stream of income in retirement in the same way as a retirement annuity, for which ARFs are supposed to operate as a more flexible alternative. The measure, in itself, does not give rise to significant tax revenues as it does not apply to actual draw-downs from ARFs and vested PRSAs, which are taxed in the normal way.

Regarding the final question, I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that data on employer contributions to pension schemes and other pension arrangements are supplied to them in aggregate form and do not provide a sufficient basis to provide a reliable estimate of any tax saving in the terms set out in the question.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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103. To ask the Minister for Finance the revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by increasing the stamp duty on share transactions from 1% to 1.5%. [25277/15]

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 2015 out-turn, is estimated to be in the region of an additional €190 million.  

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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104. To ask the Minister for Finance the revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by increasing Revenue personnel by 125 qualified persons, to target tax evasion and blackmarket activity, as per the Revenue Commissioners contribution to the initial Comprehensive Review of Spending. [25278/15]

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 2014 estimated that by increasing audit staffing resources by c.100 staff an additional exchequer yield of €50m per annum could be achieved. It estimated that by increasing staff on compliance projects such as oils, tobacco and alcohol by 100 could raise €20m per annum. It also estimated that increasing staffing on investigations by 20 staff could achieve exchequer savings of €12m per annum. On that basis, an increase of 125 staff on audit, compliance and investigation work targeting tax evasion and black market activity could raise between €25m and €75m per annum.   In addition, it should be noted that there is a significant deterrent and voluntary compliance effect on behaviour of an effective, risk based compliance programme.   The investment in the training and development of a Revenue auditor or investigator 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 in recent years. 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, provide service for compliance, by making it easier and less costly to voluntarily comply.  The administration of taxes and duties requires a wide range of specialists and experts. In 2015 the Minister for Public Expenditure provided for an additional 126 Revenue staff in the Revised Estimates of Services. These additional staff will be mainly deployed on Local Property Tax support, International Tax and on compliance interventions.  I fully support the provision of these additional staff.  Revenue is actively engaged in recruiting to fill the additional posts, existing vacancies and to replace critical skills as new vacancies arise.  Revenue expects to recruit around 400 staff in 2015. 148 staff were already recruited in the first five months of 2015.  The recruitment is at all levels and across a diverse range of specialist skills areas such as tax and legal professionals, data analysts, economists and information technology experts.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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105. To ask the Minister for Finance the revenue that would be raised for the Exchequer by standardising investment in rented residential relief under Section 23. [25280/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to standardising all remaining relief that is available in respect of Section 23 properties. As claims in respect of section 23 relief are included in loss claims for all years except for the initial year of claim, and are not separately identifiable from other loss claims, it is not possible to estimate the revenue that could be raised from standardising this relief.