What’s your view? Budget 2025

In every issue of The Bottom Line, we ask students for their thoughts on a particular topic. This month, we want to know: What do you hope to see in Budget 2025?

Daragh Connolly 

Gilroy Gannon
I would like to see the VAT rate reduced for the hospitality sector from 13.5 percent to nine percent. 

The expiration of the temporary nine percent VAT rate in September last year, which has coincided with high inflation rates, has forced businesses to increase prices considerably which, in turn, has priced many customers out of the market. 

According to the Restaurant Association of Ireland (RAI), 577 restaurants across the country closed their doors between September 2023 and July 2024. The reduction in the VAT rate should help alleviate some of the pressure that many restaurants in Ireland are facing, as well as broadening the industry’s customer base. 

Furthermore, the current cost of eating out is not attractive to tourists visiting Ireland and may be having a negative impact on Ireland's tourism sector as a whole. 

James Smyth 

KPMG
The cost-of-living crisis continues to be a key issue across the country. With housing prices and rental demand at record highs, it’s crucial the budget addresses these issues sustainably. 

One measure I would like to see is the reduction of VAT on construction materials to boost housing supply nationwide. 

Additionally, I would like to see an increased drive for investment in cross-border and cross-country infrastructure to support those commuting from rural areas and the North, creating cost-effective and sustainable travel.

As inflation begins to slow, it’s essential for the budget to include forward-looking and sustainable measures to safeguard against future challenges, like retaining reduced rates of VAT for retail and other businesses in order to bolster the SME market. This approach will address immediate concerns and ensure long-term stability and growth. 

The budget’s focus on these areas could provide much-needed relief and hope for a more secure future.

Collette O’Shea 

Mazars
Last year, the Government announced the establishment of a Tax Administration Liaison Committee subgroup dedicated to identifying opportunities to simplify and modernise the administration of business supports. I want to see the impact of this tax simplification in Budget 2025. 

Tax legislation with convoluted rules and requirements hinder businesses ability to stay tax compliant or avail of tax reliefs. All businesses in Ireland, especially our domestic SMEs, should know exactly what reliefs they are entitled to claim and
 how they can claim them. 

Furthermore, it needs to be unambiguous what taxes businesses have to pay and 
when to pay them.

Simplification of tax legislation would lead to increased compliance and better tax revenue collection as businesses would be better placed to understand their tax reporting and payment obligations. Removing the needless complexities and ambiguities in Irish tax legislation would reduce the level of incorrect claims and errors that arise from complicated tax legislation.