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ALOMST 25,000 PEOPLE in Ireland will earn over €200,000 in 2015, according to figures released by the Department of Finance.
The two largest groups of earners – 324,506 and 229,709 people – will make between €30,000 – €40,000 and €40,000 – €50,000.
More than 360,000 people will earn less than €9,000 next year, while over 125,000 people will make €100,000 plus.
The figures, based on estimates compiled by the Revenue Commission, were made public by Finance Minister Michael Noonan in response to a parliamentary question asked by former junior minister Róisín Shortall.
Noonan said the figures are based on actual data for 2012 which was “adjusted as necessary for income, self-employment and employment trends in the interim”.
“It should also be noted that a married couple or civil partnership that has elected or has been deemed to have elected for joint assessment is counted as one tax unit,” Noonan stated in the Dáil.
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I’ve no problem with people earning big salaries (over 100 or 200k) as long as they’ve worked hard to get it and deserve it. If SF or Socialist Party had their way, we’d all be on the minimum wage. The doctor who trained for 7 years would get the same as the bloke who ‘couldn’t be arsed’. Thats not fair and one of the reasons I would never vote for either party
Bit early for a SF rant isn’t it?
Most of the 100k plus salaries will involve lots of passive income be that rental from properties or returns on investments which at the end of the day will be carried through generations/inherited. You won’t be earning 100k on a 9-5 PAYE Job.Then there’s the self employed who may earn 200k put only draw 50k on a wage for tax reasons.
Just because you earn 100k doesn’t automatically mean you deserve it either, many just sit in their job and receive promotions and increments solely based on time served rather then any other objective merit.
Joe you think landlords are making over 100k? Your really out of touch
Over 700,000 earn less than 20,000. That’s due to the stewardship of our current political class, not some Johnny come lately party and what they might do. Things are still crap and it’s down to weak governance.
I think the majority of people on 100k plus have worked hard for it. Although some people might disagree with me I don’t think there’s many jobs where you can sit around not performing but somehow get promotion after promotion.
More to do with bad choices they made. How many have gone back to college to make themselves more marketable?
…
I think the happy solution is to cut DSP payments like Children’s Allowance and Pensions to the wealthy that already have massive incomes. e1620 to a family on 10k for a single child means a hell of a lot more than e1620 to someone on 100k and above.
I am sure if the figures where looked at the state could save a packet and subsidize services in other areas.
Only 1 wealthy family gave this payment up btw. The figures…. I mean figure….hum….was released by the DSP in the Independent the other day. Crazy how some people claim welfare on large wages isn’t it?
Yet many of these people wrongly call people on lower incomes spongers on a regular basis…
Considering the tax payer paid to train the doctor who normally leaves Ireland for a country they can prosper in does not say much for Ireland or any political party.
Robin the taxpayer has been paying to fund doctors in training since free education was introduced by FF. what about established doctors who trained over 20 years ago, no one paid for their training except themselves so they are well entitled to their salary as they work hard for their patients.
That’s called communism… And it didn’t work, the people at the top became more corrupt, nepotistic and extremist than ever and all the talented skilled works fled the country.
Would love to see the after tax figures to see if “the poor” are really any poorer than those in the middle when you factor in their benefits such as medical card,rent allowance etc
It would be good to get those figures. I think we need a transparent set of figures that show what poorer people are living on from state/ private incomes, and what the wealthy people are getting in terms of Children’s Allowance payments and pensions.
When the figures are in the public domain people could lobby the parties that come to our doors next year or in 2016, and they can adjust the funding based on the opinion of the people.
Exactly!
Claire do not begrudge the pensioner, the disabled or the family who lost their home. Even if you have a medical card you do not get to see a doctor in a hospital often . I am in the middle ground dealing with some of these people you have tagged in your comment and I can assure you they are living the high life or lying on a bed of roses. It is hard for everybody. But if everybody finding it hard mounted a revolt against this government who are to blame for this hardship we all experience. The solution is to call a general election and bring back humanity with dignity.
Robin nobody is begrudging anybody with a state benefit. All I am saying is many of these individuals may well be better off than the middle income earners. And by the way way a person with a medical card is entitled to see their GP 365 days a year as their cover is unlimited(my friend is a GP)if they so wish. If I were to try that it would cost me €20000…..just saying
Stark figure earning less than 9k
Part time students and people claiming dole/disability and working work make up the bulk of that along with the retired with there pension doing a bit on the side. It’s those in and around the 20K bracket that I pity.
This number also includes people who work part-time, for example casual bar & shop staff.
That’s part time workers!
Why don’t we pay our politicians based on tbe proformance of the economy. Start them on min wage and give them KPI’s to hit and at the end of each 1/4 depending on the state of the economy give them a small bonus
@richard – because then the best in society would never seek to be politicians… but remain in the private sector. Despite what the majority of fantasists think on this site – well educated people are needed in politics and they need to be paid well enough that they won’t be susceptible to bribes.
In theory at least..
Richard they are paid well so that they don’t need to be bribed. Now people will come on here and say that they are, but look at other countries where they are extremely corrupt
I disagree. Politics was once about public service. That had its challenges, especially that it wasn’t feasible for anyone who wasn’t independently wealthy to get in. But paying it well had created career politicians, whose sole mission is to get elected over and over again, before passing the seat on to the least stupid of their offspring.
We’d change that by limiting pay to a decent living wage and being intolerant of any lobby or consulting business after politics. It wouldn’t solve all the problems, but it would be a start.
Not only would they arguably be more susceptible to bribes but they would take a short term look at the economy. It would be an incentive to create bubbles (such as the property bubble which looked like a good strong economy to many) and as a result long term goals such as education would suffer.
@Emily – you set term limits on politicians to alleviate ‘career’ politicians… three terms at most – pay them well – no pensions – like a contract of employment. It is a public service – but not worrying about finance but concerning yourself solely with your job in hand is also important.
@Sergeant I think that’s an arguable approach as well. Either way, we shouldn’t be paying inflated rates of pay on the basis that they could make it elsewhere. That logic is half the problem. If you could get better politicians by paying more, then why not pay them a million a year each, so they’d be fantastic? Because it’s obvious that that would be stupid.
@Emily – no not at all – but a legislator and someone who governs the country deserve to have a respectable level of pay. This is not the main reason someone goes for office… but it is an important position and such deserves a certain level of recompense.. (i’m not saying either that the Taoiseach needs to be paid more than the US president).
Can we not just demand politicians with a credible background in the areas we need?
What do we have to do to get people with actual skills and qualifications relevant to the respective departments they hope to get into when they call to our doors at election time….
In Theory, yes.
But that doesen’t explain the chimps that we have now.
They take the big salaries and pensions and whatever their cronies will give them in directorships etc after they leave office.
The best in society are politicians now seargeant? Is that what youre implying?. We ve had nothing but the worst sliveens running this country for decades
Poor farmers, I expect!
That wealth poor gap just keeps growing
I was made redundant a few years ago, in height of recession having had an average job / income for years. I decided I wasn’t going to sit back & feel sorry for myself. With real determination, sacrifice & working harder than I ever imagined I could, I’ve worked my way to an income in excess of 100k this year & hopefully will do the same next year. I’m determined to secure a future for my family in Ireland. Nothing’s easy & i would encourage people to stop complaining & get up off your ass & get a job / start a business… do whatever you need to do. Focus on the positives in your personal circumstances. If I can do it, anyone can.
Well done, James Brown.
More censorship on the journal I see Orla what was wrong with my comment ?
Mr Noonan has several portfolios of investments and does quilify for the old age pensions so what and why was my comment removed?
Not when you do it on net pay Hevan
Those high earners lost relatively far more under austerity. A drop of 30% in net pay. Those under 30k would have lost less than 10%.
Good on you. Great to see determination and hard work rewarded
I’m self employed, not that it should effect the point I made. It’s a statement of fact.
What a lovely ‘story’ from an anonymous poster #istillbelieveinsantatoo
James are you mad? Percentage? What about after unavoidable costs for the home. Food energy rent. I believe the poor lost a far greater percentage of wages after those costs than the rich could imagine. I’m not a communist but I’m fairly sure decimated is even the wrong word for the poors finances in the past few years while the rich can still afford a lot the lower and middle can hardly repair their cars
They didn’t Mark actually
Well done James, good for you.
Your point Tom?
Talking to James brown I’d say…
I was responding to the comment by James Brown.
Sorry Tom
No bother!
That shows that the wealth – poor gap or ‘middle class’ is bigger in Ireland than most other developed countries.
I don’t like the way they didn’t break it out further how many on over 500k and over 1 million.
I’d say if you were earning over a million you wouldn’t be paying income tax in Ireland. You’d have residency somewhere else.
50% income tax in Ireland. 20% in others. Probably can get away with 0%.
I’d say it would surprise people how few of them there are over €1m.
I’d like to see the ‘after tax’ figures mentions above, but also the €’s of tax paid by each bracket to see how wide the net actually is spread, or whether a small section really are paying a disproportionate amount,
No one earning much over €250k declares tax in Ireland unless they’re running their own business based out of there.
You’re not competitive in your job as many companies tax equalize at that level. American’s have it hardest because the IRS collects for every american citizen earning abroad. So Americans get huge tax free expenses to cover housing, cars, education, travel. Sometimes €150k in its own right.
Is this is the group referred too as “The Job Makers” But originally called The rich.
“Jobmakers” are people who spend money in the local economy not those who use their money to make more money or those who park their money in off shore accounts…..Ansbacher type accounts. The Amount of people here working on minimum wage is a reflection of the injustice and exploitation that is taking place all over this country and just how unscrupulous the employment situation is.
When it comes to taxing the wealthy they become the “Job makers” or “Job Creators”
So up to 125,000 people (if they have kids) are automatically eligible to claim e1620 per child per year even though they are on over 100k per year?
I would be against capping people’s wages like may on the left seem to want, but I think it is pitiful that Department of Social Protection payments are being paid to what many regard as the wealthy in society. A simple a painless cut to this and pensions to the wealthiest in our state could allow funds to be redirected to affordable childcare to get women back to work or create sustainable jobs. It could have even partially paid for the water charges to keep the price down over the next few years, but instead Ireland once again continues to always go with the most costly ways that hammers families across the board.
So there are 125,000 people on 100k or more and they are entitled to a DSP payment like Children’s Allowance of e1620 per child……..I thought social welfare was for the needy…….but there you go……this is the problem I have with this country.
How much do these 100k+ earning spongers pay in tax?
Spiderman_Irish If only all of the least intelligent of us had kids then we would be unable to even achieve anything to give out about anyway.
Definitely not me…
The rich earning over 50 k per annum and big business are terrified if Sinn Fein get elected.
That’s why we know Sinn Fein are the right government for the Ordinary People.
Would like to see how many are in government /civil servants roles
High earners socials views are interesting. I avoid discussing personal circumstances on here but we’re in the highest bracket and well above it with additional allowance/bonus and don’t feel ‘rich’ in most parts of the world.
I have encountered people in the same circumstances and even close to the million income bracket complaining about all their extended families (all reasonably high earning according to this) water charges.
have your say