Superstars among artists granted tax exemption

MORE than 3,500 writers, musicians and artists have been granted 100% tax exemption in the last seven years, it emerged yesterday ahead of the findings of a review being carried out by the Department of Finance.

The names of 1,512 individuals granted tax exempt status between 1998 and the end of 2001 were published this weekend. A further 2,155 individuals who benefited from the scheme to the end of 2004 were named by the Revenue earlier this year.

Among those granted tax exempt status for certain works are singers Samantha Mumba; Sinéad O’Connor; Elvis Costello, under his own name of Declan McManus, and Juliet Turner.