As we await what is being described as a ‘savage’ budget, it is important to remember some of the ideas being thrown about may appeal prima facie. One disappointing suggestion I heard today was a call for tax bands of 50% (this came from an economics professor too!). In this blog we have said for some time that there are only two solutions to the deficit, firstly taxes must go up, secondly we have to stop spending. However, there is a point at which higher taxation actually reduces the tax take (more on this later in the article)
One thing that we need, in light of what will likely be testing times is to consider the impact of tax changes and also the need for a simplified bankruptcy system. There are currently (so we hear) thousands of well to do ‘non-dom’s’ in the UK who are planning to leave because of changes to the tax system. Ireland is a small …