The following are the main recommendations of the report of the Commission on Taxation
Health contribution levy should be abolished and integrated into the income tax system.
Social welfare payments should be subject to taxation with exemptions for maternity benefit, adoptive benefit and health and safety benefit
Change in tax rules for non-residents with existing 183/280 days test for determining the tax residence of an individual to be supplemented by additional criteria including tests relating to a permanent home and an individual’s centre of vital interests.
Introduction of a property tax to create "a sounder base from which the property market can develop".
The development of an up-to-date valuation base for all residential, business, commercial and industrial property in Ireland.
When an annual property tax is introduced, stamp duty on private residences should be zero-rated. Stamp duty should continue to apply for investor purchasers of residential housing units.
Windfall gains arising from increases in land values due to rezoning decisions should be subject to an additional capital gains tax charge.
A recurrent property tax should be introduced on land zoned for development that is not used for the zoned development.
Abolish stamp duty on share transactions, reducing the rate of tax on dividends from ordinary shares, relaxing the close company surcharge provisions and easing the preliminary tax payment rules for both large companies and new non-corporate enterprises.
The introduction of a carbon tax which should apply to fossil fuels consumed in Ireland. It should be based on tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by each fuel and it should be collected upstream, at the earliest point of supply. It should be visible at the point of final consumption, to help ensure that behavioural change aspects are maximised and it is not seen as ‘just another tax’.
Amendments to the VAT Directive to allow lower rates for energy efficient goods and services
The VRT system should be replaced by a system based on car usage. Such a system should be introduced over a 10 year period.
A focussed scrappage scheme, targeted at encouraging a switch to the purchase of electric and very low carbon emitting vehicles, should be considered.
All contributions towards supplementary retirement provision should qualify for a matching Exchequer contribution of €1 for each €1.60 contributed by the taxpayer.
The first €200,000 of lump sum given on retirement should be tax-free, while anything above that should be taxable at the standard rate.
Phasing out of stamp duty on ATM, credit and debit cards to promote a cash-free society.
Domestic water charges to be phased in over a five year period. Initially there will be a standard change, changing to a usage-based charge when metres are rolled out.
People made unemployed should be entitled to offset the retraining costs they incur on certified training courses against income for the previous six years.
Medical insurance relief should be continued on a more limited basis.
Income tax relief for trade union subscriptions should be discontinued.
The artist’s exemption should be discontinued; consideration should be given to introducing income averaging in the taxation of income from creative work.
A retirement savings scheme along the lines of the former SSIA scheme, that is easily understood and which involves an Exchequer contribution, should be introduced.
Water meters should be installed in all new housing units.
A public information campaign should clearly outline the rationale for water charges and the way in which they will be implemented.
Water pricing should be introduced for all water consumers by local authorities based on a consistent methodology and applying the principle of full cost recovery.