List of workers eligible for tax reliefs must be reviewed to include other professionals – Ahearn

The disparity in flat rate expenses and how tax relief can be claimed by certain workers must be rectified to make it equitable, according to Fine Gael Senator Garret Ahearn.

The party’s Seanad enterprise spokesperson said: “There are currently anomalies in how flat-rate employment tax allowances can be claimed by workers from the Revenue Commissioners, which could mean some workers are losing out on money they are entitled to.

“I previously highlighted the use of flat rate expenses and how they no longer reflect today’s market needs and have alerted workers as to how they can go about claiming tax reliefs.

“A significant amount of people have contacted me from across the country who did not know they were entitled to certain allowances related to their role.

“When reviewing the list of professions, it is very obvious that it must be reviewed to reflect today’s market.

“Teachers are included on the flat rate expenses list but SNAs are not, firefighters are but Gardaí are not. Childcare workers also fail to make the list. These professionals are the pillars of our society and communities throughout the country, and they can use these expenses to subsidise their income.

“While there have been significant changes made in the last number of months to salaries in the childcare sector, we still need to do more to reflect the work that they do. This is also a sector that we need to encourage professionals into and ensuring that they can benefit for additional tax perks might provide more of an incentive for them to work in these roles.

“Similarly, the need for SNAs in the last number of years has grown tenfold and we need to see substantially more of these workers both now and into the future. Anything that we can do to benefit these workers financially would be extremely beneficial to the sector and to the individuals and families who are helped by them.

“The list of professions on the website of the Revenue Commissioners must be reviewed and updated to ensure hard-working individuals are not missing out on tax reliefs that they are entitled to,” Senator Ahearn concluded.

ENDS