Sir, - An Tanaiste is indeed to be commended for taking a strong position in her discussions with Europe on corporation profits tax, as reported in your edition of May 8th. Your reference to exported manufactures as attracting a 10 per cent rate of tax is strictly correct but also misleading as it could be inferred that non-exported manufactures are liable to a different rate. The 10 per cent rate applies to all manufactures, whether exported or not. Separate tax rates for exports have been considered discriminatory and therefore unacceptable to the European Commission for many years now, causing the Irish Government to apply the 10 per cent rate to all manufactures, whatever their eventual destination. - Yours, etc., Colum MacDonnell,
Irish Exporters Association, Holles Street, Dublin 2.