‘No budget rabbits’ despite tax gains

No rabbits will be pulled next week from the “budget hat” despite the latest exchequer figures suggesting corporation tax revenues were again picking up steam, analysts said.

New Department of Finance figures showed that overall tax revenues in September were on target but still undershot expectations by €212m for the full nine months of the year.

The shortfall would have been greater but for corporation tax revenues. A star performer over recent years as multinationals scrambled to rearrange their global tax affairs, company tax revenues appear set to break records again.