Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy has reacted angrily today to news that tax exiles will be given a special dispensation allowing them to circumvent the current Revenue tax residency rules whilst still avoiding pay taxes. Catherine Murphy questioned what had prompted this unusual decision by Revenue and who signed off on it. She also pointed to the increased need for social solidarity and said such flagrant flouting of a system should be actively discouraged.
Catherine Murphy TD said:
“At a time when people everywhere are finding ways to support each other and with such evidence of social solidarity across Ireland, it is baffling to see a decision which favours hugely wealthy individuals and it is certainly at odds with that appetite for social solidarity which is so evident at the moment.
“Such a generous system must be seriously questioned when it clearly favours the wealthy few over the many who are worried sick about how they will survive financially following job losses or pay reductions. I would like answers as to how the decision to extend such a scheme was made and who ultimately signed off on it?
“The kind of social solidarity needed to not only get us through this crisis but also to help us rebuild our society and economy is one reliant on taxes being fairly collected and used to secure a health system and an income floor below which we will not allow our people to fall. It is a system where the social contract will be more important than ever and we should not tolerate a system whereby some wealthy individuals can effectively ignore that contract.”
05th April 2020
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