Our transparent tax system

ANOTHER day, another headline about Ireland’s corporation tax regime. The European Commission is seeking information from various countries on what, if any, special deals have been done with multinationals on their tax affairs.

Ireland ought to have nothing to fear from an investigation into its tax treatment of multinationals, provided the investigation is fair and objective.

Ireland competes with other countries for inward investment. Among the countries which have had most success in attracting inward investment, Ireland’s tax system is probably the most transparent. If you want to know what deal Ireland is giving multinationals, just pick up the tax law and read it — it’s all there — printed and published openly for the whole world to see.