Posts by splash
Orbán says Trump ‘ate’ EU chief ‘for breakfast’ in trade talks
The framework trade agreement which the United States and the European Union signed yesterday is worse than the trade deal that the United Kingdom reached with the US earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said. The deal imposes a 15% import tariff on most EU goods – half the threatened rate. The US and…
Read MoreConsumer sentiment drops to near two-year low in July
Consumer sentiment fell to a near two-year low in July as concerns about the cost of living and tariffs on European Union exports to the US weighed, a survey showed today. The Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Survey slipped to 59.1 in July from 62.5 in June, nearing April’s two-year low of 58.7. The reading is…
Read MoreECB keeps rates steady as trade conflict clouds economic outlook
The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged today after cutting eight times in a year, biding its time while Brussels and Washington negotiate over trade. The ECB cut its policy rate to 2% last month, halving it from 4% a year earlier, after taming a surge in prices that followed the end of the…
Read MoreVAT rate cut for hospitality would cost €867.7m a year, Department of Finance confirms
The Department of Finance has confirmed the cost of reducing the 13.5% VAT rate to 9% for the hospitality sector would be €867.7m in a full year. In documents published today it broke the cost down to €134.9m for accommodation, €674.6m for food and catering, €19.8m for entertainment and €38.4m for hairdressing. The Tax Strategy…
Read MoreGovernment considers delaying hospitality VAT reduction
The Government is considering whether it should delay introducing a VAT reduction for the hospitality sector until the middle of next year. It is understood the aim would be to create the fiscal space for more tax cuts in next October’s budget. The Coalition’s programme for government contains a commitment to reduce VAT on the…
Read MoreMore powers for IRB among action plan on insurance costs
Improving pricing transparency and giving the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB) more powers are among the main measures outlined by the Government to bring down insurance costs in the latest action plan on insurance reform. The plan, launched today, runs until 2029 and contains a total of 26 actions to bring down insurance costs, ten of…
Read MoreFirms expect impact from sweeping US regulatory changes
An overwhelming majority of Irish financial services organisations expect the sweeping regulatory changes emanating from the US to have an impact on Irish firms. The area where this is most obvious is tariffs. More than nine in ten organisations expect Irish firms to be hit by US regulatory changes, with more than two thirds concerned…
Read MorePlanning Beyond Profit: Building a Sustainable Financial Legacy
At KAAS we know for many business owners, profit is the primary measure of success. While profitability is essential, the most accomplished entrepreneurs think beyond short-term gains and focus on building a sustainable financial legacy — one that benefits not only themselves, but also their families, employees, and communities for years to come. A financial…
Read MoreGovernment to review work permit occupations lists
The Government has announced the opening of a consultation period to allow stakeholders make submissions on the work permit occupations lists. The Critical Skills Occupations List consists of jobs that are in short supply in Ireland and across the European Economic Area (EEA) including roles in areas such as medicine, ICT, sciences, finance and business.…
Read MoreScope for €1.5 billion in tax cuts for Budget 2026
The Government is allowing scope for €1.5bn of tax cuts in Budget 2026, according to the Summer Economic Statement. The spending package will be €7.9bn, which is a 7.3% increase on 2025. It means the total package of tax cuts and spending increases will be €9.4bn in the budget next year. However, the Summer Economic…
Read More