15/02/2012

SF Claims Finance Bill 'Rewards The Rich'

The new finance bill rewards the rich and punishes the vast majority of low and middle income citizens, according to Sinn Fein.

The claim was made during the Second Stage Dáil debate on the Finance Bill 2012 by Sinn Féin's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty.

Mr Doherty said that in two weeks time Fine Gael and Labour will have been in government for a full year, which would be remembered as a year of "missed opportunities and broken promises".

“After all the promises of the election campaign; after all the detailed commitments outlined in the Programme for Government; the first twelve months of this coalition will be remembered not for what it achieved but for how badly it disappointed," Mr Doherty said.

He added: “The most outrageous proposal in this Finance Bill is the Special Assignee Relief Programme. It allows companies to bring in highly paid individuals from outside the state and have their tax liability on earnings between €75,000 and €500,000 written off by 30%. This is the equivalent of approximately €127,500 tax free for the high end of this bracket."

“Over the five years of the period this benefit is allowed, that individual will earn up to €635,000 tax free."

(DW)

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