Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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89. To ask the Minister for Finance the cost of increasing the earned income tax credit for eligible self-employed persons in 2017 to €1,100 and €1,650 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20000/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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A Post-Budget 2016 Ready Reckoner is available on the Revenue Statistics webpage at .

In relation to the Deputy's question, this Ready Reckoner shows a wide range of detailed information, including, on Page 6, the estimated cost to the Exchequer of changes to the earned income tax credit.

All figures provided in the Ready Reckoner are estimates for 2016 incomes from the Revenue tax forecasting model using latest actual data for the year 2013, adjusted as necessary for income, self-employment and employment trends in the interim. They are provisional and may be revised.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Minister for Finance the cost of increasing the €150,000 annual investment limit for persons to €200,000, €250,000 and €500,000; under the employment and investment incentive scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20002/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The annual investment limit per individual for the Employment and Investment Incentive is €150,000. This limit was increased from €31,750 in Finance Act 2007, when the Incentive was known as the Business Expansion scheme. 

The Deputy may be aware that all of the relief available under the EII was removed from the scope of the High Earners Restriction for a period of three years beginning in 2014. This change was made to encourage greater investments in SMEs, as the High Earners' Restriction effectively limits the amount of specified tax relief that can be claimed in a single tax year to €80,000 or 20% of an individual's adjusted income, whichever is greater.

The cost of increasing the annual investment limit to €200,000, €250,000 and €500,000 would depend on future investments that might exceed the existing annual investment level. I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that there is no information available from returns filed which could assist with the prediction of potential increases in investments and thus the potential consequential costs to the Exchequer.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Minister for Finance the cost of changing the current rate of capital gains tax for entrepreneurs to levels (details supplied) over a calendar year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20003/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that, as tax returns do not currently separately identify "entrepreneurial" gains from other gains, there are no data available to accurately cost these proposed measures. However, on the basis of making various assumptions, it is tentatively estimated that the costs of the changes proposed in the Deputy's question are as shown the table. It should be noted that given the limited information available to Revenue on the nature of entrepreneurial gains, the estimates provided will vary if different assumptions are employed or new data become available. In addition, these estimates assume no behavioural change.