Top earners paying more tax - report

A new report shows Ireland's top earners are paying more tax.

The average tax rate paid by the 387 people who earn more than €400,000 per year stood at 5% 2006.

That increased six-fold to 30% four years later, according to research from the Revenue Commissioners on the 2010 tax year, published in today's Irish Times.

The Revenue Commissioners research also shows that six years ago, a substantial majority of the highest earners were paying no tax at all - or tax of 10% or less - because of a range of tax reliefs, including property, patent fee and artist exemptions.

A series of crackdowns on tax reliefs has meant the highest earners paid an additional €53m in tax in 2010 - almost double what they would have paid if the crackdown had not taken place.