Ireland gives 100 artists tax immunity
No tax on revenue earned from artistic works
Ireland’s Revenue office has granted tax-free status to more than one hundred
writers, musicians and artists in the last year, The Times reported.
The Revenue Commissioner’s tax-perk list for the past year includes 44
painters, 37 authors and playwrights, nine musicians, nine sculptors and three
photographers.
This year’s list includes Lenny Abrahamson, who wrote and directed Adam &
Paul, a bleak comedy about two junkies, comedy writer Karl MacDermott and
comedian Neil Delamere
Ireland is the only country to offer this tax incentive to artists, which was
set up in 1969, and is believe to have benefited thousands of artists.
From 1998 to 2002, the scheme cost the Irish Revenue €138m (£94m) in tax
receipts. Past beneficiaries of the scheme are believed to have included U2, The
Corrs, Enya and Chris de Burgh.
There has also been controversy about the scheme after Revenue figures showed
that 28 unidentified artists had earnings of between €500,000 (£342,000) and
€10m (£6.8m) and paid no tax on their artistic income.