Civil servants still exempt from tax on lump sums up to €200k

TOP civil servants will still be exempt from tax on up to €200,000 of their golden handshakes despite changes to their pension and pay-off entitlements announced yesterday.

Any secretaries general appointed from now on will have to work until retirement age and will not get their lump sum payment until then.

Previously, they could start drawing down a pension and claim a golden handshake when they step down from the top positions in their departments.