After a month of no movement, the latest Finance Bill (officially titled Finance (No. 2) Bill 2024-26) has begun moving again following completion of Committee stage last month. A number of  government amendments were tabled last week ahead of report stage and the Bill’s third reading. This is scheduled for Wednesday 11 March 2026 during which these amendments will be debated and are expected to be agreed. The tabled amendments cover a wide variety of areas and include the planned changes to Inheritance Tax for unused pension pots and agricultural property relief and business property relief, the tax treatment of carried interest, and temporary non-residence of individuals, amongst others.

Revenue has made several updates to its guidance on donations to approved sport bodies to reflect a number of Finance Act 2025 changes. The changes are as follows: Paragraph 3 now includes a reference to the inclusion of an approved project number on the certificate issued by the Minister of Culture, Communications and Sport. Paragraph 5.1.2 has been updated as follows: It notes that when a self-assessed individual chooses to either claim the personal tax relief on the donation or to surrender the relief to the approved sports body, this decision is irrevocable, when claiming the relief personally the individual must provide the approved project number and (if available) the unique receipt number on their Form 11, and To clarify that a donation under section 847A TCA 1997 is not taken into account in calculating “net relevant earnings” for purposes of the individual’s maximum tax relieved pension contribution to occupational schemes, RACs, PRSAs and PEPPs. Paragraph 5.2.2 has been updated to give the same updates for PAYE-only taxpayers as are given in Paragraph 5.1.2 for self-assessed individuals. Paragraph 6 has been reviewed to state that receipts issued for relevant donations by an approved sports body must also include the approved project number and unique receipt number.

It may be the time for some spring cleaning, however last week’s Spring Forecast was little more than a light dusting when the Chancellor set out in her speech to the House of Commons details of the latest economic and fiscal forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Just days after conflict erupted again in the Middle East, one could be forgiven for arguing that the forecasts are already out of date, albeit the OBR did recognise in its forecasts that significant risks from the conflict could impact the UK economy. Nevertheless, last week the Chancellor kept to her pledge that there would be no tax or policy announcements on the day of the forecast. However, in her speech the Chancellor highlighted that her second Mais lecture, which is expected to take place next week, will set out three major choices ‘that will determine the course of our economy into the future’. The Institute reacted to the Spring Forecast in a Press Release which overall calls on the UK Government to address the tax barriers that are hampering business growth in the UK. After the fiasco in November when the OBR’s economic and fiscal outlook was leaked before the Chancellor’s Autumn 2025 Budget speech, HM Treasury (HMT) was taking no chances that this would happen again when they published the OBR’s forecasts first on GOV.UK. This may mean a permanent move for future fiscal events by HMT to publish the OBR’s forecasts on GOV.UK. The Institute for Fiscal Studies and Institute for Government have both published their responses to the Spring Forecast. Meanwhile, the Treasury Committee has opened an inquiry into the Spring Forecast, with the Chancellor scheduled to provide oral evidence later this week. In other fiscal events news, the House of Commons Library has published an updated research briefing on the Budget and the annual Finance Bill. The briefing examines the way that Parliament scrutinises the Government’s proposals for taxation set out in the annual Budget statement. A research briefing has also been published by the Library on the Spring Forecast. On the devolved nations front, last week the Scottish Government published the Scottish Budget which sets out its proposed spending and tax plans for 2026/27 as presented to Holyrood. 

Revenue has updated its guidance on Expression of Doubt (Full Self-Assessment ) IT/CT/CGT with an additional section outlining that in cases where a taxpayer has made a genuine expression of doubt, the extended tax due date applies to the matter on which doubt has been expressed. A Finance Act 2025 change provides that the due date for the payment of tax is to be determined in isolation on a second or subsequent amendment of the assessment. The means that where an assessment is amended for the first time after a genuine expression of doubt and that assessment is subsequently amended again for whatever reason, the tax due and payable will not benefit from the extended due date for payment under 949AU(2) TCA 1997 and instead reverts to the original due date. Interest and penalties, where applicable, will also be applied from the original due date. Section four now incorporates material previously contained in a footnote, explaining that expressions of doubt are not available where a chargeable person is unsure of an individual’s employed or self‑employed status.

Revenue has archived its guidance titled Residential Tenancies Board: Rental Income and Interest Relief. The content has instead been amalgamated into the Registration of tenancies with the Residential Tenancies Board (interest deduction from rental income) guidance.

Revenue has updated its guidance on the games and sports bodies exemption to note that, following a Finance Act 2025 change, the relevant date for applying the exemption under section 235 TCA 1997 is the date Revenue approves the exemption application . The guidance has also been updated to confirm that the requirement for a majority of directors or officers of a sports body to be resident in the State in no longer a qualifying condition for approval of the exemption. The following updates have also been made to the guidance: Paragraph seven provides further details on the exemptions available for sporting bodies under other taxes,   Paragraph eight has been updated to confirm that tax relief is available under section 847A TCA 1997 for donations to sporting bodies for certain projects as defined in that section, and   Paragraph nine, confirms that tax relief is available under section 847AA TCA 1997 for donations to certain National Governing Bodies (NGBs) as defined in that section.

CFE Tax Advisers Europe has published a Charter of Tax Advisers’ Rights and Obligations in an AI-Influenced Tax-Advisory Environment, setting out guiding principles for the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence in tax advisory work. The Charter seeks to ensure that fundamental professional and ethical standards remain robust and effective in an AI-enabled tax ecosystem.

Revenue has published a comprehensively revised Employers Guide to PAYE with many of the sections being updated and additional examples being provided throughout the guide. Details of the updated sections are outlined in Revenue eBrief No. 043/26.

The European Commission has introduced a new course on the special cross-border VAT scheme for small enterprises. The course aims to educate participants about the cross-border scheme, to assist in understanding the registration procedure, and ensuring VAT compliance obligations are met.

Revenue published an information notice last week outlining plans to issue a short online survey seeking feedback on the recently implemented Estimated Response Time (ERT) feature in MyAccount and ROS. Revenue will extend the invitation to a randomly selected group of taxpayers who will receive an email asking them to complete the survey before 30 March 2026. Revenue emphasises that the survey will not request any personal or financial information and is not connected to individual tax affairs. Taxpayers with concerns about the survey can contact SPDsurveys@revenue.ie.

The European Commission has extended the deadline to respond to its Call for Evidence for an impact assessment on the Omnibus on Taxation to Monday 30 March 2026.

The Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation have published the Fiscal Monitor for February 2026 which confirms an Exchequer deficit of €1.8 billion to the end of February 2026. This compares to a surplus of €3.2 billion recorded for the same period in 2025. While a decline of €2.0 billion was recorded in the underlying Exchequer balance (after receipts from the Apple State Aid case are excluded), this reduction is mainly due to transfers to the Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. Overall tax receipts collected to the end of February 2026 were €13.6 billion. While this was €1.6 billion lower than the same period last year, if the once off receipts arising from the Apple case are excluded, then total tax receipts were up on last year by 1.1 percent. Income tax of €2.9 billion was collected in February 2026, 10.3 percent ahead of February 2025. On a cumulative basis, income tax receipts of €6.0 billion were 5.4 percent ahead of the same period last year. Corporation tax receipts for February 2026 were €0.8 billion which is expectedly on the lower end given that February is not generally a significant month for corporation tax payments. February is also a non-VAT due month and receipts of €0.5 billion only were received in the month. Importantly, on a cumulative basis, VAT receipts of €4.7 billion are ahead of last year by €0.2 billion. Commenting on the figures, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris said: “Today’s figures confirm that, despite external headwinds, the domestic economy grew strongly last year, with Modified Domestic Demand expanding by almost 5 per cent for the year as a whole. While the headline figures may somewhat overstate the economy’s underlying growth, I am encouraged that consumer spending grew by a solid 3 per cent last year. This reflects rising real incomes and the strength of our labour market, with a record 2.83 million people in employment at the end of 2025. While today’s figures are positive and reflect the resilience of the Irish economy, we cannot become complacent. Indeed, recent developments clearly illustrate that uncertainty is likely to be a feature of the economic landscape for some time”.