The Chairman of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society has called for a reduction in Corporation Tax as part of a wider, credible industrial strategy to drive investment, job creation and long-term economic growth in Northern Ireland. Speaking at the Ulster Society’s Annual Dinner, attended by almost 500 business leaders, policymakers and professionals, Chairman Mark Lawther highlighted the findings of the Society’s latest member survey, which points to ongoing economic uncertainty and the need for decisive policy action. “The global outlook remains unpredictable, and that uncertainty is clearly reflected at a local level,” said Mark Lawther. “Confidence in Northern Ireland’s prospects has dipped slightly, with fewer than 6% of our members currently describing the outlook as ‘good’. That underlines the scale of the challenge—and the urgency of the response required.” Ulster’s Chartered Accountants also voice significant concern around public finances, with 94% of members citing public sector funding pressures as having a negative impact on the local economy. “Public sector reform is seen by our members as the single most important priority,” he said. “Alongside that, there is a clear message that we are not yet making the most of Northern Ireland’s unique post-EU trading position, despite the real potential that exists.” Mark Lawther emphasised that Northern Ireland has strong economic fundamentals, including dual market access to Great Britain and the EU, a competitive cost base, and growing political stability. “After a period when certainty felt like a rare commodity, it is encouraging that we can now talk about stability not as an aspiration, but as a foundation,” he said. “That gives us a real opportunity to build momentum and create an environment where Northern Ireland—and its people—can genuinely thrive.” However, he stressed that unlocking this potential will require bold and coordinated action. “A reduction in Corporation Tax, as part of the right policy mix, could be genuinely transformational,” he said. “It would allow us to leverage our unique market position, attract global investment, support local businesses, and create high-value jobs.” “In recent months, we have engaged with all five of Northern Ireland’s main political parties on this issue. As people who live and work here, and who care deeply about its future, we believe that a competitive Corporation Tax rate could be a game changer for our economy.” Reflecting on the role of the profession, Mark Lawther highlighted the contribution Chartered Accountants make across the economy. “Chartered Accountants are at the heart of business and public service, supporting organisations to adapt, grow and innovate,” he said. “We don’t just witness change—we help make it happen. Every day, our members are working alongside businesses that are evolving and expanding, helping to build a more competitive and resilient Northern Ireland.” He also welcomed the attendance of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, noting the importance of political leadership and engagement with the business community. “Business thrives best in an environment of certainty, collaboration and ambition,” he said. “We very much value the leadership shown in restoring stable government and in setting a constructive tone for the work of the Executive.” The Annual Dinner, sponsored by Danske Bank and MCS Group, celebrated the contribution of Chartered Accountants across Northern Ireland and brought together leaders from across industry, professional services and enterprise.  

This week the Institute met with Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD, and officials as preparations continue to gather pace for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU (‘EU Presidency’), now just three months away.  The meeting provided an opportunity to talk through Chartered Accountants Ireland’s submission on the Presidency and to set out what we believe Ireland’s priorities should be over the six‑month term with a focus on competitiveness and simplification.  Against that backdrop, the discussion focused on the importance of progressing two key initiatives: EU Inc. and the Savings and Investment Union. We emphasised that securing meaningful progress on these proposals within the six‑month window would represent a highly successful Presidency and would be of significant strategic importance for Ireland and the wider EU economy.  Chartered Accountants Ireland reaffirmed its commitment to working constructively with Government in the lead‑up to, and throughout, the Presidency. With a 40,000-strong membership across Ireland and internationally, the Institute is well placed to support engagement, understanding and debate on key Presidency priorities.  Looking ahead, members can expect a programme of activity by the Institute during the six‑month Presidency, including publications, briefings and events focused on competitiveness and simplification. These initiatives will be designed to keep members informed, to showcase professional insights and to contribute positively to Ireland’s Presidency objectives. Further details will be shared in the coming months, and members are encouraged to keep an eye on Chartered News and Institute channels for updates. 

In Irish news, Revenue has published updated guidance on the agent e-linking process, and we issue a further reminder that the deadline for submitting the 2025 share related returns is 31 March 2026. In UK news, the Chancellor’s recent Mais lecture sets out plans for more fiscal devolution, and the Finance Bill has now received Royal Assent to become Finance Act 2026. In International news this week, the European Commission launches a public consultation on the revision of EU rules for e-Invoicing in public procurement. Ireland 1. Revenue has issued updated guidance on the agent e-linking process with the inclusion of several revised screenshots. 2. The deadline for employers and trustees operating share schemes to file the 2025 annual share‑related returns is 31 March 2026. UK 3. Read about the recent Mais lecture given by Chancellor Rachel Reeves at Bayes Business School. 4. Finance Act 2026 has now been enacted legislating for a wide range of changes, some of which will become effective from next month. International 5. The European Commission has launched a public consultation seeking feedback on the planned revision of the EU rules on e-Invoicing in public procurement. 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. You can also read this week’s Cross-border developments and trading corner here.    

The Designated Professional Body (DPB) Handbooks are updated with effect from 1 April 2026.  These are available on the Institute’s website here. The DPB Handbooks are relevant to firms in relation to certain financial activities in the UK.  They are issued jointly by the Institute, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS). The DPB Handbooks consist of:  The DPB (Investment Business) Handbook which sets out how firms can be licenced by the Institute to carry out certain investment business activities which are ‘exempt regulated activities’ without the need to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).  The DPB (Consumer Credit) Handbook which sets out the arrangements in place which enable Institute firms to provide consumer credit services in the UK without the need for authorisation from the FCA. The updates to the DPB Handbooks at this time are twofold: DPB (Investment Business) Handbook only:  to update the required levels of professional indemnity insurance (PII) for authorised firms providing permitted Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) activities, to reflect the requirements of the FCA.  Accordingly, an authorised firm, before it engages in any relevant IDD activities, must have in place PII equivalent to at least: €1,300,380 for each claim; and, in aggregate, the higher of: €1,924,560; and an amount equivalent to 10% of annual income (this amount being subject to a maximum of £30 million). This update to the DPB (Investment Business) Handbook should not affect Institute firms since the Institute’s Public Practice Regulations (6.18) already require firms which conduct IDD activities (either under authorisation from the Institute or from the FCA) to have in place PII at limits prescribed by the FCA.   In both the DPB Handbooks:  changes for ICAS authorised firms only – these changes provide for alignment of the DPB Handbooks with the regulatory processes of ICAS (recently changed) and relate only to ICAS authorised firms.  These changes are not relevant to Chartered Accountants Ireland firms.

The guidance on the Cost of Living Accommodation Allowance for Representative Church Bodies has been updated to include details of the allowance for 2025 and to update relevant examples accordingly.

Revenue has published updated guidance on the Residential Premises Rental Income Relief (RPRIR) providing information on the availability of the relief and other credits for non-resident landlords. Section 1032 TCA 1997 provides that in certain circumstances a portion of personal credits, reliefs, and deductions, including the RPRIR are available for non-resident landlords. The guidance outlines that this portion is determined by the ratio of the Irish source income to the total income of the individual, and the taxpayer is required to complete the ‘Worldwide Income’ field on the ‘Personal Details’ panel of the Form 11.

Revenue has updated its guidance on the Incapacitated Child tax credit to reorganise the content and to provide additional clarifications on claiming the relief. The relevant updates are as follows: A new summary paragraph has been included to provide clarity on certain terms referred to in section 465 TCA 1997. Paragraph two addresses the timing of when the individual became permanently incapacitated. The following references have been removed from paragraph three: the criteria to provide a doctor's certificate or similar medical report, and maintaining for the purposes of the credit Paragraph five confirms that the incapacitated child tax credit is not available where a tax deduction for employing a carer for an incapacitated person has been claimed

Revenue has updated its guidance on submitting and managing queries submitted on MyEnquiries via ROS. The update (in paragraph 1.3) advises taxpayers that the dropdown menu option may not be available for some users. In these cases, Revenue advises that the system will automatically categorise the correspondence.

On 17 March 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave the Mais lecture at Bayes Business School. The lecture was delivered just two weeks after the Chancellor’s Spring Forecast speech on 3 March which had signalled that the Chancellor would be setting out more information on the UK economy and fiscal plans in her Mais lecture. With the sound of sirens continuing in the Middle East as the Chancellor spoke last week, the Chancellor set out three ‘big’ economic choices by the government and what actions the Government says it is taking to address these. The first of these choices is the news that the Chancellor will be pushing ahead with plans to develop a roadmap for future fiscal devolution which will be published at this year’s Budget. This will set out plans to give regional leaders control of a share of some national taxes which are currently allocated by central government. The roadmap will look at income tax, alongside other taxes, with reforms initially targeted at those places that have the greatest capacity to deliver them, and the greatest potential to benefit.  According to the Chancellor’s speech, reforms will be fiscally neutral and will focus on sharing and retaining a portion of existing revenues, with the proceeds of growth benefiting the places that generated that growth, whilst managing volatile receipts both for local areas and the Exchequer. At present it is unclear if this means more fiscal devolution for Northern Ireland. The Chancellor’s next big choice centred on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and set out details of what the Government’s overall strategy is which comprises the following four key strands and a range of actions tied to each: to build sufficient ‘compute’ to protect the UK’s interests and avoid excessive dependencies on others. This essentially means, for example, having sufficient data centre capacity to protect sensitive data, ensure resilience from global shocks, and support domestic adoption,  to establish the UK’s foothold and compete fiercely in the areas where the UK has real strengths, such as AI applications, AI chip designs, and cyber security, to maximise the value added by AI to the wider economy and the public sector through accelerated adoption, and to equip working people with the tools they need to maximise the rewards and minimise the risks.      The Chancellor’s final economic choice centred on how, in this age of insecurity, the UK’s economic, political, and military strength rests on strategic alliances, and in particular, how the UK’s fate as a country is inescapably bound with that of Europe. The Government has therefore chosen to ‘look towards a new and stable, future relationship’ with the EU. Where it is in the national interest to align with EU regulation, the UK should be prepared to do so, including in further areas of the single market, whilst also recognising that there may still be areas in which regulatory autonomy may be necessary for sectors with unique characteristics or strategic importance for the UK.   

Revenue has issued new guidance on the tax relief available for relevant donations to National Governing Bodies (NGBs) which sets out the criteria on what qualifies as an NGB together with details of the relevant definitions under section 847AA TCA 1997. The guidance outlines how both self‑assessed and PAYE‑only individuals can claim the tax relief including details and related deadlines regarding a donor’s decision to instead surrender the tax relief to an NGB. The relevant documentation requirements of NGB’s are also outlined together with information on the circumstances when relief will not be available.

Last week saw Finance Bill 2025/26 receive Royal Assent on 18 March 2026 to become Finance Act 2026. The Act enacts major legislation across a wide range of areas, many of which will take effect from next month. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking a look in Chartered Accountants Tax News at the key changes coming into operation next month as a result of the Act, when both the new Financial Year 2026 and tax year 2026/27 commence on 1 and 6 April 2026 respectively. In other legislative news, the National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill is now awaiting Royal Assent. Under the Bill, from April 2029, a primary and secondary Class 1 National Insurance Contributions (NICs) charge will be applied where employer pension contributions are made via salary sacrifice arrangements that exceed £2,000. The Bill will amend Section 4 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, and Section 4 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, so that amounts of salary sacrificed for employer pensions contributions pursuant to optional remuneration arrangements are liable to Class 1 NICs. The Government has also published amendments to PAYE Regulations which provide for mandatory payrolling of employee benefits in kind, rather than annually through form P11D. The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 will enter into force from April 1, 2026. However, the changes regarding the mandatory requirement regarding "payrolling" benefits in kind will not apply until 6 April 2027 onwards. The Regulations also remove the requirement for employers who have ceased trading to submit form P11D digitally. Instead, these employers can now choose whether to submit the return electronically or in paper form.

The chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, Niall Cody, recently signed Statutory Instrument No. 85 of 2026, replacing the Taxes (Offset of Repayments) Regulations 2002. The replaced Regulations came into effect from 3 March 2026 and are made under section 960H(5) TCA 1997, which empowers Revenue to offset repayments due to a person against their outstanding liabilities. The new regulations remove or replace obsolete references, establish the order of priority of offset against liabilities, and provide for offset of several tax heads that have been legislated for since the 2002 Regulations were introduced.