For the tax years 2008, 2009 and 2010, the exemption threshold for payment of the Health Levy was €26,000; this is €500 per week. If you earned more than €500 in any one week in the year, you would have been liable to the Health Levy but at the end of the year if your [...]

From 31 December 2011, the exception in respect of amalgamated accounts has been discontinued and will not be accepted by the CRO. This refers only to instances where the one or same set of accounts are filed with more than one annual return. Therefore, from 1 January 2012, a separate set of accounts is required [...]

Significant savings can be made if you examine your utility usage and costs. Cost reduction ideas include: Offer incentives to staff for energy saving ideas Reduce the temperature setting on thermostats over the winter months and with air conditioning increase during the summer months. Install time clocks to control lighting, air conditioning and heating systems. [...]

We are looking for: an experienced Audit Senior/Manager for our busy Cork practice. Big 4 experience and 2 years PQE is preferable. Previous responsibility for audit planning and leading audit teams is essential. Delivery of additional consultancy services also envisaged. a recently qualified accountant to provide accountancy services to a diverse client base Interested? Please [...]

The Companies Registration Office (CRO) have issued a few reminders in their recent newsletter: 1. A new form B1 was introduced from 1 April. The old version will only be accepted until 1 October (inclusive). The new form can be found here. If you are filing using co sec software, ensure that it is up [...]

Irish businesses who supply goods to VAT registered customers in other EU Member States without charging Irish VAT are required to submit a VIES return each month/quarter. Many businesses are not aware that from 1 January 2010 this obligation was extended to the supply of services. VIES returns can be submitted either monthly or quarterly and [...]

If a company decides to implement the Bike to Work Scheme, remember the scheme cannot only be made available to the directors of the company, it must be made available to all employees of the company. VAT cannot be reclaimed by the company on the cost of the bikes or associated equipment i.e. helmets, pumps, [...]

The Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, announced the Jobs Initiative on 11 May last which is designed to stimulate job creation. It includes the following measures in relation to business and employment taxes:   Abolition of employers PRSI on share based remuneration Temporarily halving the lower rate of employers PRSI for certain employees Amending the [...]

The Tax Saver Commuter Tickets from Luas offer tax savings for both employers and employees. The benefits include: Up to 52% travel cost savings for staff Up to 10.75% savings for employers on PRSI No more queues for Luas tickets Journeys are cheaper with prepaid tickets than with cash How it works: The cost of [...]

Since my last Frequently Asked Questions post , I’ve kept a record of the types of questions I get asked regularly, either as comments or by email. Here are some of the more popular queries over the last 5 months. .. . . . . . Q. Can a sole trader register a company name? [...]