Members in Australia represented the Chartered Accountants Ireland Australian Society at the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce lunch in Melbourne and in Sydney at the Lansdowne Lunch. Check out the photos here.

In recent months the Institute has approved certain Institute Registered Auditors (audit firms), and responsible individuals (RIs) at those firms, to carry out sustainability assurance engagements in Ireland, pursuant to the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) as transposed into Irish law.  These are referred to as ‘approved firms’ and sustainability assurance service providers (SASPs) respectively.   The recent Omnibus proposals from the EU Commission have created uncertainty over the scope of the CSRD going forward.  Audit firms should be alert to these emerging developments when considering whether and/or when to seek approval to carry out sustainability assurance engagements.  Transitional (‘grandfathering’) arrangements for SASP approval The EU Omnibus package does not include proposals to directly change the transitional (‘grandfathering’) arrangements for SASP approval. Therefore, it remains the case that an individual approved as a RI in Ireland before 1 January 2026 can avail of transitional arrangements when applying for approval as a SASP.   Under those transitional arrangements a RI is eligible for SASP status if he/she undertakes a minimum of 60 hours of CPD in the relevant subjects.   Note that a RI who is approved as RI in Ireland before 1 January 2026 does not have to apply for SASP status before 1 January 2026 to be eligible to avail of the transitional arrangements described above.  A person approved as RI on/after 1 January 2026 who applies for SASP status will be required, by law, to complete an examination and 8 months relevant practical experience to gain the sustainability assurance qualification. Eligibility for approval to carry out sustainability assurance engagements The eligibility criteria for SASP and firm approval are set out in the Institute’s Audit Regulations (incorporating assurance under CSRD) and Guidance, Ireland (the Audit Regulations).   The Institute has prepared FAQs to provide information for audit firms and RIs considering applying for approval to carry out sustainability assurance engagements. For audit firms who do wish to apply for approval at this time, the audit compliance principal can start the application process by contacting sasp-applications@charteredaccountants.ie to request the relevant application forms.    When an audit firm first applies for approval to carry out sustainability assurance engagements at least one RI at the firm must also submit an application for approval as a SASP. Ongoing obligations of approved firms and SASPs Once approved to carry out sustainability assurance engagements, an approved firm and SASP have ongoing obligations in relation to SASP CPD, compliance with relevant provisions of the Audit Regulations and annual regulatory fees relating to sustainability assurance approved status.  Regulatory Fees It is necessary for the Institute to collect regulatory fees to fund the Institute’s work in providing a robust regulatory framework for approved firms and SASPs.  Each application for SASP status is subject to an approval fee.  From 2026, ongoing annual regulatory fees will also be payable by approved firms. Applications for RI status in 2025 An applicant for SASP status must be a RI in Ireland.  As outlined above, an applicant who is approved as RI before 1 January 2026 can avail of transitional arrangements when applying for SASP status (even where that SASP application is made at a date after 1 January 2026).  If an audit firm wishes to designate new RI(s) during 2025 with the intention of ensuring that the RI status of that person is approved by the Institute before 1 January 2026, the firm is advised to submit application(s) for RI status to the Institute as soon as possible, and at the latest by   1 August 2025.    Early application allows time, in most cases, for assessment of the application by the Institute, including where necessary, consideration by the Quality Assurance Committee, before the end of 2025. The Professional Standards Department cannot provide guaranteed timelines for consideration and approval of RI applications as time required depends on the nature of the application.  Complex or incomplete applications for RI status may take longer to process than well-presented, detailed applications which clearly demonstrate an applicant’s competence and experience.  While the transitional arrangements for SASP status may encourage some firms to consider appointing more RIs during 2025 than might otherwise have been intended by the firm, firms are reminded that only appropriately qualified and experienced individuals can be granted RI status in accordance with the Institute’s Audit Regulations. Application forms for RI status are available on the Institute’s website.  Queries regarding RI applications can be directed to authorisations@charteredaccountants.ie.

The Commission has issued a reasoned opinion to Spain for failure to allow the deduction of directly related expenses when calculating withholding taxes on royalty payments received by non-resident taxpayers. Spain has two months to respond and take the necessary measures.

The European Commission has decided to refer Spain to the Court of Justice of the European Union on a failure to remedy an infringement in relation to the free movement of capital (Article 63TFEU) leading to a discriminatory tax treatment of non-resident taxpayers.

The European Commission has released its latest data on taxation trends in all EU countries, Iceland and Norway. The data provides statistical information on tax revenue by economic function, type of tax, level of government and implicit tax rates, enabling the assessment of tax systems from various perspectives.

The European Council has reached political agreement on a further amendment of Directive 2011/16/EU on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation (DAC9). The amendment will streamline the filing obligations and reduce the compliance burden for companies arising under the Pillar 2 Directive, as it enables MNEs to file one top-up tax information return for the entire group at a central level.

The VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) package was adopted on 11 March 2025 following further consultation of the European Parliament. Once enforced, Member States will be able to introduce mandatory e-invoicing under specific conditions, and improvements will be made to the Import One-Stop-Shop (IOSS) framework for improved controls.

Revenue has recently updated three other Tax and Duty Manuals. The updated manuals relate to the Form P11D, the pensions manual for overseas employment and statutory registration fees paid to the Health and Social Care Professionals Council. Details are set out below. The manual Form P11D includes further details on what is required to be included on the form, The pensions manual Overseas Employers, Overseas Employees and Employees seconded from Overseas has been updated to remove outdated material, and The manual Deduction for statutory registration fees paid to the Health and Social Care Professionals Council (CORU) has been updated to include the list of professions regulated by the CORU and the professions which have the CORU annual statutory fee included in the relevant flat rate expense allowance.

Revenue has updated the Tax and Duty Manual Schedule E expense deductions for employed consultants and non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs). The updates include a link to the manual General Rule as to Deduction of Expenses in Employment which provides further guidance on the following: The principles for determining tax deductibility of general expenses incurred in the performance of the duties of employment, and Flat rate expense allowances and the relevant claim process. The list of publicly funded hospitals in Ireland has been updated in Appendix 1.

Revenue has updated the Tax and Duty Manual Statement of Affairs (Probate) Form SA.2 to outline a change to the process for submitting requests for clearance from Revenue to distribute benefits to non-resident beneficiaries.  Requests for clearance must submitted individually for each beneficiary to protect the integrity of each beneficiary’s personal information. A solicitor can use a TAIN (“Transaction Advisory Identification Number”) to submit each request for clearance separately to Revenue. Information on the use of the TAIN is included in the manual.

Revenue has updated the Tax and Duty Manual  Requests for Clearance – Disposal of Land and Buildings by non-resident vendors to provide additional information and clarifications on the clearance process. The title of the manual has been updated to better reflect the detail contained within and the content has been updated to include the following details: Clarifications regarding the disposal of certain assets by a non-resident vendor, including the role of the representative and the clearance process, The clearance process for disposals of property with a secured charge. Situations where sufficient and insufficient proceeds remain, after the redemption of the charge, to settle the Capital Gains Tax liability are also addressed, Details on the clearance request process, Revenue’s action on receipt of submissions and the thirty-five working day review timeline, and A summary table is included to provide details on scenarios which may arise when dealing with disposals by non-resident vendors.

Revenue has updated the Tax and Duty Manual Tax Treatment of the reimbursement of expenses of travel and subsistence to office holders to reflect the increase in civil service subsistence rates effective from 29 January 2025.  The manual contains a link to a circular issued by the Department of Public Expenditure, NPD Delivery and Reform, on civil service rates for foreign assignments of six months or less. The manual has been updated to remove the following information which is now obsolete: The reference to reimbursement of the cost of flights cancelled due to Covid 19, Historical civil service rates for travel and subsistence which are still available in archived versions of the manual, and Details on class of allowances which have been discontinued since 2015.