Chartered Accountants Ireland has named Donegal native and University of Galway lecturer Sophie Sweeney ACA as its 2025 Chartered Star. Awarded annually, the accolade is given to one of the Institute’s shortlisted members who demonstrates outstanding commitment to any of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The competition – running since 2016 – gives the winner the opportunity to participate in the One Young World summit as the Institute’s representative. This year’s summit will take place in Munich, Germany, in November. In her application submission, Sophie described herself as a “storyteller at heart.” She is a lecturer in accountancy, finance and tax at the University of Galway and actively positions the SDGs within her teaching. Sophie believes in intertwining the SDGs into accountancy education to embed trust and sustainability as core values for future finance leaders. As well as this, Sophie is a PhD candidate examining how people experience tax across life stages. She advocates against inequality in social and taxation systems for the benefit of future generations and believes that education is essential to this. Commenting on her win, Sophie Sweeney said: “I am very excited and honoured to have been selected as Chartered Star 2025. I am passionate about learning and education as a means to promote equity and progress. I am really looking forward to hearing from all the contributors at the Summit, and to workshopping with the other delegates. We can learn a lot from each other.” Acknowledging the central role Chartered Accountants play in addressing the global challenges that the UN SDGs aim to address, competition entrants were shortlisted based on written and video testimonial submissions outlining how they live the values of the SDGs through their work and other pursuits. The summit will bring together the Chartered Star and 2,000 other young future leaders from over 190 countries for workshops and addresses from global leaders. Plenary topics featuring on the 2025 programme include the circular economy, responsible tech, anti-hate, education and peace and security. Commenting, Chartered Accountants Ireland Sustainability Advocacy Manager Susan Rossney said:  “Chartered Accountants are playing an ever-increasing role in addressing the UN SDGs through their work. Sophie’s work and her research interests espouse cover several of these including education, reducing inequalities, and promoting economic growth. Not only this but she actively raises awareness of the goals through her teaching, ensuring the next generation of finance professionals understand their role in meeting the goals”. Director of Members and Advocacy, Cróna Clohisey said:  “The Chartered Star competition is a very important initiative for the Institute. It highlights the power and potential of the Chartered Accountant to contribute meaningfully to societal change. Trusted business leadership is the Institute’s guiding principle and Sophie exemplifies this. She emerged as the worthy winner from a highly impressive shortlist and will gain a lot from the Summit, bringing these learnings back to her students. I wish her the best for the Summit in November.”

Professional Standards Department is pleased to publish its AML Supervision Report 2024/25. This report summarises our AML supervisory activities in both jurisdictions, ROI and UK for the period 6 April 2024 – 5 April 2025. AML Supervision Report 2024-25

In Irish news, we provide an update on the Institute’s recent engagements with government officials in relation to Finance Bill 2025 and we share our annual “At a Glance” document which includes an overview of all the key tax measures in Finance Bill 2025. In UK news, we provide updates on the most recent Employer and Trader Support Service Bulletins. In International news this week, the EU has strengthened international tax cooperation with Switzerland. Ireland 1. Last week, the Institute, under the auspices of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies – Ireland (CCAB-I), attended the Business Tax Stakeholder Forum meeting and various Tax Administration Liaison Committee meetings to discuss Finance Bill 2025. 2. Read the Institute’s “At a Glance” document which contains an overview of all the key direct and indirect tax measures in Finance Bill 2025. UK 3. HMRC has published the October edition of HMRC’s Employer Bulletin which provides details of the latest updates and guidance to support employers, payroll professionals and agents. 4. In this week’s Cross-border developments and trading corner, we bring you the latest guidance updates and publications including the most recent Trader Support Service bulletin. International 5. The EU has signed an amending protocol to the tax cooperation agreement with Switzerland. Keep up to date with all the latest Irish, UK, and international tax developments through Chartered Accountants Ireland’s Tax Newsletter. Subscribe to the Tax News by updating your preferences in MyAccount

Revenue has updated three other guidance notes this week addressing company incorporation, dealing in development land and entertainment expenses. The details are as follows: The updated guidance on Company Incorporation – Economic Activity includes the address for submitting an application under section 140 . The guidance on Dealing in Residential Development Land has been updated to note that the contents of the manual are no longer relevant. The renamed guidance Business Entertainment Expenses incurred by Directors and Employees has been updated to reflect the content of the Tax and Duty manual Entertainment Expenses.

Revenue has published updated guidance providing additional details on the background and key elements of the non-resident landlord withholding tax (NLWT) system .Additional information has been provided to address errors that occur when an incorrect LPT ID is used during the filing of a rental notification (RN), and when the landlord's tax reference number does not correspond with the selected tax type. Further clarification is also provided on amending a RN. The updated guidance provides details regarding registration issues affecting collection agents, tenants who pay withholding tax via the PAYE credit system, the responsibilities of collection agents under NLWT, and how collection agents interact with the NLWT system.

Revenue has updated two direct debit guidelines, firstly for VAT and Employers Income Tax and secondly for preliminary income tax to reflect the introduction of the new Payments Hub in ROS, previously named Payments and Refunds. The Payments Hub enables taxpayers and agents to set up and manage a variable direct debit for VAT, a direct debit for preliminary income tax payments, and to update bank account details for both payments and refunds.

Revenue has updated the ROS manual, Revenue Online Service to provide information on ROS payment methods  and changes to the ROS Revenue Record (Inbox). The press release issued with the updated manual reminds taxpayers of the pay and file deadline and their related obligations. The updated information on ROS payment methods relates to variable direct debits (paragraph 10.3) and managing bank accounts and refunds (paragraph 10.4). The ROS inbox now provides a new option to allow users to show or hide PAYE- EMP messages and two new subfolders have been added titled SARP 1a and SARP Employer Returns. The Revenue press release confirms Wednesday 19 November 2025 as the pay and file deadline for ROS customers provided both filing and tax payment obligations are met.  Where both obligations are not fulfilled, the extended deadline is not available and the required date to submit returns and payments is on or before 31 October 2025.

Revenue has updated its guidance on Enhanced Reporting Requirements (ERR) to include a section on frequently asked questions section for system users and employers. The updated guidance also includes relevant details on the small gift exemption and updated examples on the practical application of ERR.

In this week’s detailed miscellaneous updates which you can read more about below, the October edition of HMRC’s Employer Bulletin is available and HMRC has sent an important reminder about its new Self-Assessment (SA) reactivation service. HMRC is also seeking research participants for a project examining the Agent Services Account and Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. In other news this week: The guidance on additional support from HMRC’s extra support team has been updated to confirm that the team can also now deal with taxes for employers, At the six months to go mark, HMRC sent an email asking ‘Are you ready for MTD for Income Tax?’, and HMRC has published a policy paper designed to help UK taxpayers make informed choices about representation by tax advisers and other intermediaries. The paper is part of its ongoing raising standards in the tax advice market project. October Employer Bulletin The October edition of HMRC’s Employer Bulletin brings you all the latest updates and guidance to support employers, payroll professionals and agents. Included in this edition are: making PAYE Settlement Agreement payments, guidance for labour supply chains featuring umbrella companies: PAYE responsibilities, ·new advisory electric rates for fully electric company cars, Spotlight 71: agency workers and contractors moved between umbrella companies, 'Tax Help for hustles' campaign: new resources for employees, and Winter fuel payments: recovery through the tax system. SA client reactivation service In last week’s detailed miscellaneous updates, we highlighted HMRC’s new SA client reactivation service which was launched on 1 October. According to HMRC, the service is working well so far and has been used by a large number of agents. HMRC is however advising that some agents are using the service when they have general SA or individual PAYE queries to resolve. In such instances, the SA re-activation team cannot transfer the caller to the right team which is causing frustration for the agent who must then re-phone the Agent Dedicated Line (ADL). HMRC is stressing that the SA re-activation team can only re-activate clients’ SA accounts. Other SA or PAYE related enquiries are dealt with by a separate team reached by selecting option 2 (SA or individual PAYE queries) when dialling the ADL, followed again by option 2 (anything else) when prompted. HMRC research: Agent Services Account and MTD for Income Tax HMRC is seeking interested agents to participate in user research sessions focusing on the Agent Services Account and MTD for Income Tax. Each session will be held virtually on a one to one basis and is expected to last 60 – 90 minutes. Love2shop vouchers are available as a small incentive. The link to sign up to take part is:  https://survey.take-part-in-research.service.gov.uk/jfe/form/SV_74GjifgnGv6GsMC?Source=BannerList_HMRC_Live_services_agents.

Revenue has published a number of updated guidance documents relating to the MyEnquiries facility which provide additional information on the facility and updated screenshots. The updates should clarify certain challenges, including opening hours, adding new enquiries, and agent e-linking. The customer services standards paragraph in the MyEnquiries manual has been updated. The telephone opening hours for the myAccount registration helpline have been included in the Access to and registering for MyEnquiries manual. The guidance for MyEnquiries: Submitting and Managing Enquiries in myAccount includes screenshots for adding a new enquiry and details on the messages received when an enquiry is submitted. Paragraph 3.4 has also been updated to include a link to further information. The screenshots in paragraph 2.1 have been updated in the guidance onMyEnquiries – Tracking of Enquiries. The guidance, Notifications about Enquiries has been updated for screenshots withmessages received via notifications. Additionally, paragraph 6 includes new details regarding agents e-linking messages for ROS and myAccount customers.

In this week’s cross-border developments and trading corner, we bring you the latest guidance updates and publications. The most recent Trader Support Service bulletin is also available, as is the latest Brexit and Beyond newsletter from the Northern Ireland Assembly EU Affairs team. The UK’s Borders Directorate has sent an email detailing the new maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in fish and seafood. Miscellaneous guidance updates and publications This week’s miscellaneous guidance updates and publications are as follows: Simplified procedures exclusion list of procedure and additional procedure codes for CDS, Reference Document for The Customs Tariff (Establishment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, Customs, VAT and excise UK transition legislation from 1 January 2021, Apply for repayment of import duty and VAT (CHIEF), Importing sanitary and phytosanitary controlled goods into Great Britain that interact with the Border Trade Matching Service, Known error workarounds for the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), Internal temporary storage facilities (ITSFs) codes for Data Element 5/23 of the Customs Declaration Service, External temporary storage facilities codes for Data Element 5/23 of the Customs Declaration Service, Data Element 2/3: Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union) of the Customs Declaration Service, and Producing Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream or Irish Poteen.

The Tax Administration Liaison Committee (TALC) held several meetings last week to discuss Finance Bill 2025 and the draft clauses which will ultimately give effect to this year’s Budget announcements. The Institute, under the auspices of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies – Ireland (CCAB-I), attended these meetings supported by the representatives of the CCAB-I’s Tax Committee South. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the TALC BEPS Subcommittee and TALC Indirect Taxes Subcommittee met. At the TALC BEPS Subcommittee meeting, discussions focused on the participation exemption for certain foreign dividends and the EU Minimum Taxation Directive (Pillar Two). At the TALC Indirect Taxes Subcommittee, discussions highlighted the VAT and excise changes, focusing mainly on the proposed reduction on VAT on certain apartment sales. Then on Thursday, the meeting of the Main TALC/TALC Direct & Capital Taxes Subcommittee was held where the remaining areas of Finance Bill 2025 were teased out. Finally, on Friday, the VAT modernisation subgroup met to discuss the paper published the day after the Budget on the implementation of e-Invoicing. As readers will appreciate, the full detail of these meetings cannot be shared until the minutes have been agreed by all stakeholders, however below you will find some of the highlights which we can share at this time: The participation exemption for certain foreign dividends: The Institute has been consistently calling for further enhancements to the exemption, particularly in terms of extending the geographic scope and relaxing the requirement to look back five years to determine whether a dividend meets certain criteria. While it was hoped that the amendments could have gone further, it is acknowledged that careful consideration must be given to setting appropriate boundaries to ensure the Irish tax base is sufficiently protected from potential abuse. The enhanced deduction for eligible construction expenditure: The current draft legislation has been subject to much scrutiny since Finance Bill 2025 was published. It is understood that industry bodies are concerned that in its current iteration it will not have the desired impact on construction activities. Therefore, it is expected to be subject to further revision before Finance Act 2025 is enacted. The residential zoned land tax (RZLT): The Institute has been engaging with Revenue throughout the summer months to identify necessary amendments to the RZLT. Unfortunately, while the proposed amendments in Finance Bill 2025 do address some of these concerns, there remains a number of areas where the legislation still requires further consideration. The reduced rate of VAT on apartments as a social policy: The draft legislation is likely to be subject to revision in order to clarify what types of apartments are in scope of the reduced rate. Therefore, readers are cautioned to review the final legislation once it is enacted later this year.