#Budget18: Relying on corporate taxes to pay budget bills

The centrepiece of the budget was the unveiling of a hike in commercial property transactions from 2% to 6%. It will raise a lot of money – as much as €376m a year, writes Eamon Quinn

In his budget speech, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe hailed a budget that was making the most of limited resources but all while securing the goal of balancing tax revenues with spending plans.

Testing the truth of these claims could be sooner than many think. Any Finance Minister, never mind one heading into a possible election in the next 12 months, has ever been heard to say anything different about balancing the books.