With the Irish Government once again urging people to work from home, the Cross Border Workers Coalition, says this makes it all the more imperative that the government tackles the issue of cross border taxation.
The coalition says that thousands of cross border workers face financial penalties from January if the issue is not addressed.
The Cross Border Workers’ Coalition says while it’s regrettable that the ongoing public health situation has forced the re-imposition of work-from-home restrictions, the Irish Government must step up now and support employees impacted by this decision.
Co-chair Aidan O’Kane says because of inaction from Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, thousands of cross-border workers fear that within weeks, the home-working flexibility they were granted since the pandemic began is set to be lost, with no alternative support on offer.
He says 25-year-old Irish tax rules mean that cross-border workers are denied tax relief on their income if they work remotely. That was suspended in March last year, but the Department of Finance has said that this waiver will run out as planned, like other Covid-19 support in January.
Mr O’Kane says the Coalition have met with the Minister three times to express their concerns, and his apparent disregard of what they’re asking for is disappointing.
He says ehe Finance Bill is currently at Committee Stage, and despite amendments being tabled addressing this issue, Minister Donohoe and his colleagues have voted them down.
