Employer & Expatriate Taxes / All

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a key strategy for our future economic prosperity, but how attractive is Ireland as a location for employers to send executives here from an immigration and income tax perspective?

The Revenue Commissioners have recently issued an eBrief (84/11) linking a Tax Briefing (Issue 06 December 2011) outlining their position as to the PAYE treatment of income arising from having or exercising the public office of director of an Irish incorporated company.

In eBrief 69/12 (14 December 2012) Revenue have confirmed that they will facilitate the granting of a “real time” foreign tax credit via payroll where a gain in respect of a Restricted Stock Unit (“RSU”) is taxed both in Ireland and a country with which Ireland has a Double Taxation Agreemen

Prior to the passing of the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013, there was no specific legislation surrounding the social security treatment of directors.

31 March 2015 is the mandatory due date for the filing of returns of information for employee share participation schemes in respect of 2014.

The Irish government introduced the Start up Entrepreneur Programme and the Immigrant Investor Programme earlier this year.

Many Irish businesses are seeking to develop growth opportunities overseas. Doing so is likely to involve sending employees overseas for business development and marketing trips.

In May 2014, Ireland was one of over 65 jurisdictions to have signed the “Declaration on Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters”, making a commitment to put the necessary arrangements in place to share financial information with the other countries who have signed up to the agreement.

Employee Share Incentive Schemes Employee share incentive schemes can be an effective way of offering tax savings to employees in addition to encouraging employee participation and loyalty.