Ireland under pressure over tax stance

IRELAND is under pressure to move from its position of no co-operation at EU level on taxation after Britain indicated it might consider an exception.

Both countries have described tax harmonisation as red line issues and insist that all issues relating to tax require unanimous agreement of the member states. They insist it must remain a veto issue in the new Constitution for Europe.

However, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Saturday in Rome they could be prepared to cooperate in aspects related to cross-border tax fraud.