No hike in property tax if Universal Social Charge abolished

Government officials have rejected Sinn Féin claims that Cabinet is considering hiking property tax by 600% in order to scrap the Universal Social Charge, saying they have “absolutely no intention” of doing so at any stage in the future.

The denial was issued after Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty obtained an internal Department of Finance briefing document outlining the potential move and a series of other measures if USC is removed in a single budget.

The file, received under the Freedom of Information Act, states that in the event of the new Government choosing to remove USC completely in one budget, it would have to consider hiking property tax by 600% in order to balance the books.