According to the Irish Finance Minister the core objective of the Medium Term Economic Strategy (MTES) is full employment by 2020. In connection with this strategy Ireland will continue to prioritize taxation measures that ensure the recovery creates employment.
In the past three budgets the Government has endeavored to make the tax system more competitive and support economic growth – for example, through the EUR500m (USD687m) tax package for businesses in the 2014 Budget, and support for tourism through the 0 percent air travel tax and the reduced value added tax to 9 percent.
The Irish government intends to continue using the tax system to strengthen sectors within the economy, for example through the review of agri-taxation reliefs announced in the 2014 Budget. The purpose of the review will be to assess the costs and benefits of the various agricultural tax expenditures with a view to ensuring the maximum benefit to the sector and the wider economy. Tax policies also aim to encourage the transfer of land to the younger generation in the agri-food sector; efforts to support the construction sector through the introduction of real estate investment trust (REIT) legislation; the home renovation incentive and an exemption from capital gains tax.
