Revenue has updated numerous income tax guidance documents to reflect changes introduced by Finance Bill 2025 which we have outlined as follows. In some cases, the examples in the guidance have also been updated to reflect the changes. High-Income Individuals’ Restriction Tax Year 2010 onwards to include the Living City Initiative, High Income Individuals’ Restriction to reflect rate bands, Rent tax credit to reflect the extension of the credit, and Mortgage interest tax credit to reflect the extension of this credit. Full details of the relevant changes are included in the Institute’s Finance Bill at a glance document.

Revenue has published updated guidance on domestic employers and the taxation of domestic employees removing references to pre 2019 requirements and excluding information in the  appendices which is now available from the Department of Social Protection. The contact details for the special collection section of the Department of Social Protection have also been included.

Revenue has updated several stamp duty guidance documents to reflect changes introduced by Finance Bill 2025. We have listed below the documents which have been updated, and details of the relevant changes are included in the Institute’s Finance Bill at a glance document. Provisions applicable to particular instruments, Stamp Duty on certain acquisitions of residential property, Exemptions and Reliefs from Stamp Duty, Levies, Levy on authorised insurers, and Further levy on certain financial institutions.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris and the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan jointly launched the new tax relief for the unscripted production sector. The relief will operate by means of a corporation tax credit for costs incurred in developing unscripted programmes and is available at a rate of 20 percent of eligible production expenditure, up to a maximum of €15 million per project. As the relief is cultural in nature, a cultural test will apply. To claim the credit, a company must first obtain interim cultural certification from the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport before commencing production on a qualifying unscripted programme. Relief is available under section 487A TCA 1997 and is available to a qualifying producer in respect of certain costs associated with eligible unscripted productions. To qualify, the total production cost must be at least €250,000, and eligible expenditure must amount to at least €125,000. The credit is calculated at 20 percent of the lower of: eligible expenditure, 80% of the total production cost, or €15 million. Commenting on the announcement of the tax credit, the Tánaiste said: “Ireland has a brilliant reputation internationally as being a centre of excellence for film television and audio production. The introduction of this measure represents a further strengthening of Ireland’s tax incentives for the audiovisual sector, reinforcing the Government’s long-standing commitment to supporting screen production and Irish creative industries”

Revenue is providing one final extension to the timeline for the completion of the Large Corporates Division VAT Modernisation and eInvoicing survey. The timeline to submit responses has been extended to 5pm on 30 January 2026. The survey is aimed at VAT-registered businesses managed by Large Corporates Division and will inform Ireland’s implementation of the EU’s VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) package and the implementation of eInvoicing in Ireland.  The survey issued, on 20 November, directly to businesses through Revenue’s Online Services (ROS). Queries can be sent to VATmodernisation@revenue.ie, and all relevant updates on VAT Modernisation will be published at revenue.ie/vatmod. Further information on the survey is included in our earlier newsletter item

The Model Reporting Rules for Digital Platform Operators (MRDP) is the agreed standard for Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) on digital platform operators. The MRDP and DAC7 require digital platform operators to collect and automatically report information on certain sellers who use their platforms to earn consideration.  The relevant returns for the 2025 calendar year must be filed by Saturday, 31 January 2026. Further details are available on Revenue’s DAC7 Hub

An electronic tax clearance certificate (eTC) typically remains valid for four years, provided the taxpayer continues to meet all its tax compliance obligations. Once the four‑year period ends, a new application must be submitted. Grants and certain relief schemes require an annual renewal application. Revenue has introduced a new agent notification feature that will give agents a list of clients whose electronic Tax Clearance certificates (eTCs) are due to expire within the next 30 days. Approximately 30 days in advance of the expiry date of an eTC, a reminder will issue to ROS and myAccount customers and at the same time, a notification will issue to the agent’s ROS inbox providing a list of linked clients who have been issued with an eTC reminder. The agents listing will provide the client’s name, registration number and eTC expiry date.

At the end of last year, the Department of Finance and Revenue jointly launched a public consultation inviting stakeholder feedback on a proposed electronic withholding tax (eWHT) system in Ireland, which aims to introduce real-time taxation for self-employed taxpayers subject to withholding tax (WHT). The deadline to respond is fast approaching and submissions must be made by 5.00pm on Friday, 30 January 2026. The consultation also seeks views on modernising Professional Services Withholding Tax (PSWT), Relevant Contracts Tax (RCT), and extending WHT to the platform economy. Further details regarding the consultation are included in our earlier newsletter item.

Readers are reminded that 31 January 2026 is the payment deadline for capital gains tax (CGT) liabilities arising in the period 1 December 2025 to 31 December 2025. Revenue’s CGT webpage details how to register for CGT via MyAccount. CGT payments can be made online using a debit/credit card or a one-off single debit instruction.

Revenue issued a reminder last week outlining the disclosure and settlement opportunity available to businesses to regularise payroll obligations for 2024 and 2025 without the imposition of interest and penalties, following the landmark decision delivered in Supreme Court judgment in The Revenue Commissioners v Karshan (Midlands) Ltd t/a Domino’s Pizzaco. The deadline for making such a disclosure and paying all related taxes is 5pm on Friday 30 January 2026. The disclosure opportunity gives businesses, that may have misclassified employees as contractors, the mechanism to have the correction treated under the Code of Practice for Revenue Compliance Interventions provided the disclosure is made by the due date and all related liabilities are paid in full via REVPAY or by arranging a Phased Payment Agreement (PPA) when submitting the disclosure. Full details of the disclosure opportunity are set out in Revenue Guidelines – ‘Settlement arrangement arising from Revenue v Karshan (Midlands) Ltd. trading as Domino’s Pizza’ and are covered in our earlier newsletter item. In its reminder notice, Revenue clarified that if, after the submission deadline, a business needs to amend details in a disclosure already submitted, such amendments will be accepted in line with the Code of Practice for Revenue Compliance Interventions, provided that: the original disclosure was made on a best-efforts basis,  the amendments do not arise from careless or deliberate behaviour,  the amendments are not material in nature, the declared liability is paid or a PPA is requested, and critically, employees who work for the business are properly classified and PAYE/PRSI is being operated through the PAYE system for 2026.  In such cases, Revenue will continue to regard the disclosure as qualifying. 

The Department of Finance recently published the Research and Development Tax Credit 2025 review which was undertaken in line with the Department’s tax expenditure guidelines  and which examined the effectiveness of the scheme. As part of the review, a public consultation on the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit and on options to support innovation was conducted in 2025. The Institute submitted feedback as part of this process. One of the key messages from the review is that the R&D tax credit is important for both foreign direct investment and for supporting domestic companies and it fosters higher levels of productivity and innovation. Other findings of the review are as follows: The R&D tax credit contributes to higher levels of research and development which is associated with increased labour productivity and economic growth. Business expenditure on R&D has steadily increased over time and significantly increased in recent years. The R&D tax credit has increased in cost to the Exchequer in recent years with the cost of the R&D tax credit rising from €1.2 billion in 2022 to €1.4 billion in 2023, nearly twice that of the €708 million Exchequer cost in 2015. Companies claiming the R&D tax credit are also significant contributors to the Exchequer through corporation tax receipts. In 2023, total corporation tax liabilities for all claimant companies were €10.53 billion. The cost of the R&D tax credit is concentrated among large companies including multinational companies (MNCs), but participation by SMEs is also strong. Ireland ranks among the most attractive OECD countries for R&D tax incentives. Commenting on the publication of the review, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris said: “I am delighted to announce the publication of the 2025 Review of the R&D tax credit regime. The R&D tax credit is an important feature of the corporation tax system and plays a key role in our competitiveness and in the development of our knowledge economy. Companies engaged in R&D are at the forefront of developments critical to addressing the challenges of digitalisation and climate change. They also deliver valuable spillover benefits to our education sector and local economies, in addition to supporting high-quality employment in Ireland”.

  In this week’s Sustainability/ESG Bulletin from Chartered Accountants Ireland read about the ESG Network for Chartered Accountants, the new Large Energy User Action Plan (LEAP), how renewable-energy-use has increased in Ireland, and how climate data shows Ireland facing extreme weather in the future. Also covered is Northern Ireland’s moves towards a circular economy, and how the Global Risks Report 2026 identifies uncertainty as the defining theme of global risks, as well as the latest articles, resources and upcoming events.   ESG Network for Chartered Accountants Are you a Chartered Accountant working in ESG/Sustainability or working on ESG-related projects?  Would you like an opportunity to engage with other Chartered Accountants working in this space to share insights, challenges and opportunities?  Chartered Accountants Ireland’s ESG Network allows members working in sustainability/ESG to meet and discuss all matters of interest re ESG and accounting. Next meeting | 28 January 2026, 14.00-15.00 Guest speakers: Eva Sheehy, a Managing Director in CFGI’s Accounting Advisory practice and Dee Moran, Head of Professional Accounting in Chartered Accountants Ireland to discuss developments in sustainability reporting.  If you are a member and would like to join us, email sustainability@charteredaccountants.ie IRELAND Government publishes Large Energy User Action Plan (LEAP) The Government has published its Large Energy User Action Plan (LEAP), laying the foundation for future investments in energy-intensive sectors in an effort to safeguard the energy security, affordability and the competitiveness of Irish enterprise. LEAP aims to facilitate future investment in energy intensive sectors, address existing barriers to energy intensive industrial developments and ensure continued alignment with Ireland’s green energy transition. The implementation of LEAP will provide for green energy parks co-locating energy intensive industrial development with the supply of renewable energy, by private developers. These will be informed by a forthcoming National Planning Statement and other government and regulatory policies Renewable energy use increases in Ireland Renewable energy accounted for 40.2 percent of electricity generated in Ireland in 2024, up from an average of 5.1 percent in 1990-1994. This is according to Environmental Indicators Ireland 2025 – Economy, Emissions and Energy figures released by the Central Statistics Office. The figures also show that environment taxes in Ireland amounted to €5.5 billion in 2024, up 10.8 percent on the 2023 figure of €4.9 billion. Environmental subsidies and similar transfers in Ireland were €1.8 billion in 2023, up from 14.7 percent from the 2022 figure of €1.6 billion. Fossil fuel subsidies (financial incentives provided by governments to oil, gas, and coal industries) were €4.9 billion in 2023, up 4.9 percent from €4.7 billion in 2022, and up 74.2 percent from the 2021 figure of €2.8 billion. Commenting on the release, Reamonn McKeever, CSO Statistician said it highlights that as Ireland’s economy and population grows, production of energy continues to increase to meet that demand. More of that energy is now sourced from renewable sources, which in turn drives lower emissions from energy production. That statistics also show that electric and hybrid cars made up 45.8% of new licenses. Ireland faces extreme weather Climate data from the EU’s Copernicus monitoring service has revealed that 2025 was Earth’s third hottest year on record. The Global Climate Highlights report noted an 11-year streak of temperatures above normal, with analysts warning that this trend will continue, worsening underlying climate conditions. The report notes that Europe was impacted throughout the year by a range of storms and precipitation events, from convective storms to named storms, often associated with flooding, and mentioned Storm Éowyn, which hit Ireland in January 2024 and led to an insurance industry estimated bill of over €301 million. NORTHERN IRELAND Moves towards circular economy in Northern Ireland The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is inviting responses to a public consultation on a new strategic approach to the management of resources and waste in Northern Ireland until 2031. Rethinking Our Resources: Northern Ireland Resources and Waste Management Strategy aims to move away from the linear model – of take, make, use and dispose – towards a circular approach of reduce, reuse, repair and recycle – leading by example in how to best manage natural resources and the benefits that can bring. The closing date for responses is 23:59 on 8 April 2026. Progress update on Northern Ireland’s Energy Strategy Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has published the Mid-Term Review of the Northern Ireland Executive’s Energy Strategy: The Path to Net Zero Energy. This strategy was published at the end of 2021, followed by the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. It sets out 2030 targets on a pathway to net zero energy by 2050, aiming to make energy secure, affordable and clean for current and future generations. The Review assesses progress against core targets, addresses delivery challenges, and proposes strengthened governance arrangements to ensure success in achieving the 2030 targets. Progress described includes: a 53 percent growth in the turnover of the region’s low-carbon and renewable energy economy since 2015 £72 million of ‘invest to save’ across 160 projects delivering annual energy savings of more than £10 million in the government estate and lowering emissions publication of the final scheme design for the Renewable Electricity Price Guarantee (support scheme). The Department has also produced a suite of updated energy evidence reports, and an interactive dashboard tracking progress against energy strategy targets and metrics. WORLD Uncertainty the defining theme of global risks, says Global Risks Report 2026 Uncertainty is the defining theme of the global risks outlook in 2026, according to the Global Risks Report 2026, which was published this week by the World Economic Forum. According to the report, which presents – among other things – survey insights from over 1,300 experts worldwide, a “contested multipolar landscape is emerging where confrontation is replacing collaboration, and trust – the currency of cooperation – is losing its value.”  Short-term concerns are heightened, the multilateral system is under pressure, economic risks are intensifying.     The report concludes its key findings section with a note of hope: “Yet, history reminds us that order can be rebuilt if nations choose strategic collaboration even amid competition. The future is not a single, fixed path but a range of possible trajectories, each dependent on the decisions we make today as a global community.” TECHNICAL ACCOUNTING UPDATE (From our colleagues in Professional Accounting on 9 January) The European Commission issued an update regarding the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) operational procedures. Other documents have also been published to support businesses in scope of CBAM including: CBAM Compliance Essentials for Importers and Indirect Customs Representatives as from 1 January 2026 CBAM Quick Guide List of National Competent Authorities for CBAM The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has been appointed as the national competent authority in Ireland. CBAM becomes fully operational on 1 January 2026, marking the end of the two-year transitional phase (2023-2025). Following the release of the draft simplified European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), EFRAG has published the following documents, which are aimed at supporting users of the standard: Basis for Conclusions Cost–benefit analysis Logs of amendments for the 12 standards and for Annex II (Aggregated acronyms and glossary of terms) Comparative table of texts (Set 1 / ED / Technical Advice) for the 12 standards and for Annex II (Aggregated acronyms and glossary of terms) Explanatory note on Article 29b and its Annex 🎙️The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has issued its Q1 Implementation Insights Podcast. This episode highlights some of the resources available to support companies applying the ISSB standards. The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) including EBA, EIOPA and ESMA published Joint Guidelines on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) stress testing. These Guidelines provide national insurance and banking supervisors with clear guidance on how to integrate ESG risks into supervisory stress tests, both when using established frameworks and when conducting complementary assessments of ESG risk impacts. The Joint Guidelines apply from 1 January 2027. ARTICLES Navigating the CSRD Omnibus: A pivotal moment in EU Sustainability Reporting – (BDO) Environmental regulators should help businesses meet rules, says watchdog (Sustainable Views – Subscription needed) Women command less than one-fifth of senior roles in Ireland’s financial sector (Irish Times) In the absence of urgency, only thing changing is our weather - Ireland not immune to destructive events causing havoc worldwide (Irish Times) ‘A long road ahead’: How Ireland’s plan to revive data centre growth is being received (Business Post – Subscription needed) EVENTS CAW Network USA — Beyond Accounting: Sustainability Reporting This online session explores the evolution of sustainability reporting as an essential component of modern accounting. Topics include: the shift from traditional financial statements to ESG-integrated disclosures; materiality principles (financial, impact, double, dynamic); stakeholder demands; risks like greenwashing; and practical steps to embed sustainability into strategy. Attendees will gain clarity on ESG frameworks, governance, assurance, and navigate an increasingly stringent regulatory landscape. Virtual | Tuesday, 27 January 2026 | 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EST Grant Thornton, From ambition to action: Decarbonisation in practice Join GT for an engaging and practical discussion focused on how organisations are navigating the realities of decarbonisation in Ireland today. Expert speakers will share real-world insights on operational delivery, policy pressures, infrastructure constraints and the trade-offs involved in moving from ambition to action. This session brings together leaders from logistics, energy and technology to explore what decarbonisation looks like in practice across different sectors, and what is genuinely driving progress. Speakers: Owen Keogh, Head of Sustainability, An Post; Richard Scannell, Head of Public Policy, AWS;  and Niall Hogan, Sustainability Leadership Plan Lead, ESB. Spaces are limited, so please register early to secure your place. In person, Grant Thornton 13-18 City Quay Dublin 2 D02 ED70 |Thursday, January 29 | 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. | BDO Ireland & BDO UK — Top Sustainability Trends for 2026 – Webinar As organisations navigate climate change, evolving EU/UK policy, and ESG reporting demands, this online session brings together senior sustainability specialists to unpack regulatory shifts (CSRD, IFRS, sustainability reporting, CBAM, EUDR), strategic implications for business, and actionable priorities for 2026, finishing with a live Q&A. Virtual | Thursday, 29 January 2026 | 12:30 pm (GMT) | Online webinar Dublin Chamber, The Sustainability Academy: Green Public Procurement Training Join us on Wednesday the 4th of February for Half-day virtual workshop on Green Public Procurement as part of Sustainable Academy, sponsored by AIB. All companies now need to learn the green public procurement rules to bid and win new contracts with the public sector. Virtual,  Wed 4th Feb 2026 | 9am - 12.30pm. Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business - Lancaster University, Starting Your Journey with Tools and Frameworks Second in the series, this webinar explores tools and frameworks that support decision-making for nature and biodiversity, including the Natural Capital Protocol and TNFD. Learn how these approaches help businesses identify relevant priorities and communicate outcomes effectively. Virtual, Thursday 12 February 2026, 8:00am – 9: 00am | 4.00pm – 5.00pm ICAEW, Putting nature on the balance sheet — Troubleshooting session Troubleshooting session to tackle common challenges on how to embed nature into the activities and processes of the finance function. Virtual, Wednesday, 18 February, 2026, 4 - 5pm CET Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business - Lancaster University, What Does ‘Good’ Look Like in Corporate Reporting? The final session in the Pentland Centre’s free webinar series for SMEs explores what effective reporting on nature and biodiversity looks like. Drawing on global examples, this webinar highlights best practices and practical approaches for integrating nature and biodiversity into corporate reporting. Virtual, Thursday 12 March 2026, 8:00am – 9:00am | 4.00pm – 5.00pm Sustainability Centre You can find information, guidance and supports to understand sustainability and meet the challenges it presents in our online Sustainability Centre.