ESRI questions the need to retain 9% tourism Vat rate

Economic think-tank the ESRI has questioned the need to retain the 9% Vat rate for the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Addressing yesterday’s sitting of the Oireachtas Select Committee on Budgetary Oversight, Professor Alan Barrett said: “Learning a lesson from the past, all tax incentives should be reviewed periodically to make sure they are still relevant.”

“We don’t know if the tourism-related incentive introduced by the last government is still needed, but the case needs to be explored,” he said.