Value Added Tax

Tax Rates
23% (standard rate) This applies to all goods and services that are not exempt or liable at the zero or reduced rates
13.5% (reduced rate) This applies to certain fuels, buildings and building services, certain newspapers etc.
9% This applies to certain goods and services (mainly related to tourism). This rate applies to restaurant and catering services; hotel and holiday accommodation; admissions to cinemas, theatres, certain musical performances, museums and art gallery exhibitions; fairgrounds or amusement park services; the use of sporting facilities, hairdressing services; printed matter such as brochures, maps, programmes, leaflets, catalogues and newspapers.
0% These include exports, certain food and drink, oral medicine, certain books etc.
4.8% This applies to livestock, live greyhounds and the hire of horses.
5.2% Farmer’s VAT flat rate addition (from 1st Jan 2015).
Exempt These include financial, medical and educational activities.
For an extensive listing of Goods & Services VAT Rates click here
VAT Registration Limits
Supply of goods €75,000
Supply of services €37,500
VAT Cash Accounting
The annual VAT cash receipts basis threshold for small to medium businesses is being increased from €1.25 milion to €2 milion with effect from 1 May 2014.
Tax Due
19th day of the month after the VAT period
When is VAT not deductible ?
An accountable person may not deduct VAT on any of the following, even when the goods and services in question are acquired or used for the purposes of a taxable business:

  • expenditure incurred by them on food or drink, or other personal services for themselves, their agents or employees, except to the extent, if any, that such expenditure is incurred in relation to a supply of services in respect of which they are accountable for tax
  • expenditure incurred on accommodation other than qualifying accommodation in connection with attendance at a qualifying conference as defined in the legislation
  • expenditure incurred by the accountable person on food or drink, or accommodation or other entertainment services, where such expenditure forms all or part of the cost of providing an advertising service in respect of which tax is due and payable by the accountable person
  • entertainment expenses incurred by the accountable person, their agents or employees
  • the purchase, hiring, intra-Community acquisition or importation of passenger motor vehicles other than certain qualifying motor vehicles (and other than motor vehicles held as stock-in-trade, or for the purposes of the sale of those motor vehicles by a financial institution in the context of a hire-purchase agreement, or for the purpose of a business of the hiring of motor vehicles, or for use in a driving school business)
  • the purchase, intra-Community acquisition or importation of petrol otherwise than as stock-in-trade
  • contract work involving the handing over of goods when such goods are themselves not deductible
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