Budget 2025 announced on 1 October 2024 included a substantial "cost-of-living" package including many one-off payments, as well as outlining a framework to direct substantial tax revenues towards housing, energy, water and transport infrastructure.
The need to maintain Ireland's competitiveness in the face of intensifying competition for foreign direct investment was acknowledged, with tax code simplification at the forefront.
Key tax measures of interest to the international business community included confirmation of the introduction of a participation exemption for foreign dividends from 1 January 2025, an acknowledgment of the importance of further reducing complexity in Ireland's tax code through a review of the tax treatment of interest, and a focus on supporting innovative business with a review of the R&D tax credit to be undertaken over the coming year.
We develop these points and further measures and highlights that may be of interest to the international business community in our Budget 2025 – Tax Highlights Ireland here.