Posts by splash

The Central Bank is revising downwards its forecast for how many homes will be built this year and over the following two years. It expects 32,500 will be finished this year, a reduction of 1,500 on its previous forecast last March. It says 37,500 will be completed next year, down 2,500 from its last projection,…

Many small businesses in Ireland pride themselves on being innovative — developing new products, improving processes, or creating smarter ways to serve their customers. Yet despite this, at KAAS we believe a significant number are overlooking a powerful incentive designed to reward exactly that: Research & Development (R&D) Tax Relief. This government-backed scheme allows businesses…

The Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) is recommending that the Government provides an additional €10,000 in grants to low income households for the purchase of electric vehicles, particularly in areas with limited access to public transport. It is also calling for scrappage schemes and other transport-related incentives to help accelerate the switch to battery-electric vehicles…

Airfares from Europe to the United States have dropped to rates not seen since before the Covid-19 pandemic, as travellers from Western Europe lead a pullback in travel to the US that is expected to continue until at least next month. Overseas arrivals to the United States fell 2.8% in May from a year ago,…

Rollout of generative AI and agents will reduce Amazon’s total corporate workforce in the next few years, Andy Jassy, CEO of the online retailer has said in a note to employees. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the global workforce by automating routine and repetitive tasks, and industry leaders expect this to prompt a reduction or transformation…

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that households saved 14% of their income in the first three months of this year. This saving rate was down from 14.8% in the fourth quarter of 2024. The CSO said the saving adds to overall household wealth in the form of buying new homes, growing bank…

Essential minimum living costs increased by 1.8% in the past year with a cumulative increase of 18.8% nationally since 2020. The figures are contained in the annual Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) report published by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. The research team found that households with older children (second-level age) were…

The State has sold its remaining shares in AIB, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said today. The State sold a 2.06% stake in AIB at a price of €6.94 per share. This will generate about €305.3m upon settlement and brings to €19.8 billion the total amount returned to the State to date from its investment…

As any seasoned business owner knows, certain times of the year can bring a surge in both revenue and responsibility. Whether it’s tax season, year-end reporting, or your industry’s peak trading period, busy seasons often mean longer hours, tighter deadlines, and higher financial pressure. At KAAS, we know that financial stress isn’t just uncomfortable —…

A new survey reveals that 29% of adults in Ireland said they could not last a full hour without the internet. The annual Connected Lives survey from broadband and telecoms provider Pure Telecom also reveals that 40% of people would turn down €5m in cash if it meant they could never use the internet again.…