We need fair and common sense tax residency rules

We need to consider tax residency rules that are not solely based on 183 days in the country but that also recognise, among other criteria, where you have a home, your nationality, and personal ties to the country as they do for example in the Netherlands.

Revenue restated its existing tax residency rules to confirm that days an individual was delayed in the state due to COVID-19 would not be counted toward their 183 days in the country. Many Irish residents are now in financial dire straits and as a country we need to consider how we will pay financially for this crisis. Understandably people are angry at the seemingly unfair way in which rich tax exiles are treated.

We need to consider tax residency rules that are more nuanced and not just based on a simple day limit. The domicile levy, a tax introduced to target wealthy tax exiles who pay little Irish income tax, is not sufficient (just 10 people paid this tax in 2016). It is not fair to allow tax exiles to continue to reap the tangible and intangible benefits of living in Ireland without being required to make a contribution.

Notes

• Colin Coyle, Sunday April 05 2020, The Sunday Times article
• Residency requirements around the EU
• Image credit