All employees earning less than 356 Euro per week will be eligible for the new Employers PRSI rate.
The minister announced a reduction in the employer PRSI rate from 8.5% to 4.25% to assist in job creation. This will reduce employer costs in the creation of new jobs. This new rate will apply from 2nd July 2011 until the end of 2013.

Finance (No.2) Act 2011 introduced a second reduced VAT rate of 9% to apply in respect of supplies of certain goods and services for the period 1 July 2011 to 31 December 2013.

The 9% rate applies to certain goods and services previously liable at the 13.5% rate, including restaurant and catering services; hotel and holiday accommodation; admissions to cinemas, theatres, certain musical performances, museums and art gallery exhibitions; fairgrounds or amusement park services; the use of sporting facilities; hairdressing services; printed matter such as brochures, maps, programmes, leaflets, catalogues and newspapers.

From 1 January 2014 the rate on these goods and services will revert to 13.5%.

Another stealth tax €100 per year for home owners. They say its only €2 per week and whats the big deal!! Now they are having a laugh at us. If we decided now to stop buying a newspaper every day to try and save this €2 per week - BANG goes that newspaper and all those jobs that go with it!! - Is it now not a big deal?

Revenue are planning to change the basis of calculation of the USC from a week 1 basis to the cumulative basis with effect from 1st January 2012. Further information will be available shortly as all payroll software will have to be updated for this change for 2012.

The National Minimum Wage was restored to €8.65 gross per working hour in respect of an experienced adult worker with effect from 1st July 2011.

From July 2011, receipts for the vast majority of tax payments made to Revenue will be available exclusively through the Revenue On-Line Service (ROS). Where a payment is made through ROS, a confirmation/receipt of payment will be provided through ROS. However, where the payment is not made through ROS i.e. by post etc. confirmation/receipt of payment will only be available by requesting a Statement of Account through ROS. This means that all taxpayers not currently registered for ROS must register for the service by logging onto www.revenue.ie

When an employee receives a termination payment, an employer has the option to calculate how much of the payment can be paid tax free using the Basic Exemption or the Standard Capital Superannuation Benefit (SCSB) options. The following question often arises: What effect does a salary sacrifice scheme have on an SCSB calculation? 

Revenue have confirmed that if an employee opts for an approved salary sacrifice (travel pass, a bicycle under the Cycle to Work Scheme or Shares under an approved share scheme), this will not reduce their remuneration or emoluments for the purpose of calculating the SCSB in the event of an employee receiving a termination payment i.e. where an employee's gross salary of €50,000 is reduced by €1,000 in respect of a Cycle to Work Scheme, leaving him with taxable pay of €49,000, his gross salary of €50,000 can be used when calculating his average annual earnings over the last 36 months for the SCSB calculation.