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MINISTER FOR ENTERPRISE Peter Burke has refuted claims made earlier this week that Ireland is a “tax scam”.
US Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, took part in an interview on American technology and business podcast All-In in which he said that Ireland is his “favourite tax scam”.
When asked if he accepted that Ireland was a “tax scam” today on RTÉ’s This Week in Politics, Burke said “absolutely not”.
“Ireland has about 80 exchange agreements. We have the most bilateral treaties, tax treaties as part of the EU as well. So we absolutely have no tax scams in this country. We’re very clear in terms of transparency and we led the BEPS process with the OECD to reform the tax architecture right across Europe.”
Burke added that Ireland has to focus on what it can control as the prospect of Trump’s administration proceeding with proposed tariffs on the EU from 2 April nears.
The interview, which spanned an hour and 44 minutes, was posted on Thursday and has almost half a million views on Youtube.
In the interview, Lutnick speaks about his relationship with US President Donald Trump and his work in the White House, alongside tariffs, global trade, and various economic plans.
Speaking on “tax scams” on the podcast, Lutnick said: “We have to try and fix a whole bunch of these tax scams. Ireland is my favourite. The country of Ireland last year had a sixty-billion dollar budget surplus. So [America] lose two trillion and they make 60.
“You’d say, Ireland, what do they do? Oh, they have all of our [Intellectual Property] for our great tech.
“All our great tech companies and great pharma companies. They all put it there because it’s low tax and they don’t pay us. They pay them. So that’s got to end. So when those things end, tariffs, Trump card, getting rid of tax scams to get fair tax, that’s my trillion.”
Lutnick’s figures used to demonstrate Ireland’s budget surplus are false – Ireland’s budget surplus from 2024 amounted to €25 billion, which included the windfall Apple Tax from the CJEU ruling that amounted to €14 billion.
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At the time of the 2008 crash there was more money being funneled through Ireland to avoid tax than any other country in the world. This was well documented. I doubt things have changed.
@Dere: they were paying a lower rate of tax in Ireland
@P. V. Aglue: yeah like when corporations like Starbucks were paying less tax per year than one small independently owned coffee shop….monopolies and cartels is what government protects and enables.
@Dere: well they can hardly say they are so they must talk in the grey – how else would we be able to live beyond our means and have such inflated housing prices
@Dere: This Howard Lutnick, is dangerous, he is a total Trump puppy put in a position to denigrate and destroy without any real knowledge of financial markets. Then again what’s the surprise with Trump appointee’s !
@Dere: ahahah on that statement the Irish are laughing as they are literally overtaxed themselves. they know it’s true
9th biggest tax haven in the world, they’re not fooling anyone, an economic policy from the late ’50′s still being used.
@Brian D’Arcy: that comment coming from the new North Korea
@Brian D’Arcy: what’s your solution ?
@Brian D’Arcy: Companies can always HQ in Delaware. Or Texas – the new Delaware (eg Tesla). It’s not all tax rates anyway. Access to EU, English speaking, legacy links with Ireland and so on.
Ireland is a tax haven plain and simple. It is a paradise for foreign venture funds who buy up tranches of property, rent them out at extortionate prices and don’t pay a cent in tax. Meanwhile the poor Irish national will pay 52% on any income from renting out their own property.
@Gerry Lamont: it is not the “poor Irish national” who pay 52% tax, pal: everyone who is PAYE pays tax in Ireland, even without an Irish passport. Stop talking through the hole.
@Atp: Well it’s hardly “the poor vulture fund”, that’s for sure. No level playing field.
Coming from the king of tax scams it is a bit much that Trump is criticising Ireland. Readers who have the time should research the purpose of multiple trips made by Trump to Moscow before he
was elected. If Ireland had the foresight years ago to create a favourable tax regime and so create the wealth and economic security that we currently enjoy, then what did we do wrong? Had Ireland not then altered its international tax policies it is likely we would still be reliant on farming and/or tourism, just like most island economies throughout the world. Ireland is right to anticipate the worst and to plan accordingly. Better to aspire to becoming another Singapore or Taiwan rather than sit and wait for the mood swings of Trump.
@Informed: unfortunately people don’t do research, they’d rather listen to the echo chamber of the left leaning journal and take everything said on this site, and it’s comments, as fact. Seems to especially affect those with Trump Derangement Syndrome.
All part of the great reset, Agenda 2030 is in full swing.
Great and keep falling down that conspiracy rabbit hole
@087 bed: Trump wants (cheaper) foreign imports all made in the US instead. Who going to make them all – slave foreign labour maybe…but he won’t let anyone in. The Republicans will start squirming soon.
@Del Ray: sure all the merch in his megastore in Trump tower is made in China
Hmmm, so the Uber-rich elite want to hide their profits and tax but they don’t want anyone else to do it? Are these free marketeers now Champagne socialists?… when its suits them like :)
Israel, hang your collective heads in shame.
@Andrew Kenny: Incorrect thread push on lads finish the job.
@james rowan: Silence Incel we don’t support Gaza and enjoy the terrorists getting finished off.
Unfortunately, Trump and his associates don’t care one way or the other.
@AnthonyK: But we are a tax scam. Ask apple all about it. Or did you forget how we fought not to take the tax money we were owed.
@AnthonyK: Why should they,? They look after the best interests of their country. It’s called commonsense.
@Billy Joe: “They look after the best interests of their country”.. lol :)
@Ger Whelan: the Apple ruling has nothing to do with why Lutnick referred to Ireland as a tax scam. Also, the incentives given to Apple by the Irish state have been discontinued, so we are not a tax scam, unless you know of any other illegal arrangements in place. Lutnick was referring to US corporations locating their IP in Ireland, and thereby routing related profit through Ireland to avail of the lower corporation tax rate here – all perfectly legal and transparent, and not a scam, but under threat from Trump’s administration nonetheless.
@Ger Whelan: go back to your PlayStation or grow up
Paschal Donahue sounding very nervous on the radio this morning.
Lutnic stated that our budget surplus was €55bn last year then in the same interview bumped that up to €71bn. The guy is a clown. The actual figure was €25bn which included the one off figure of €14bn from apple. We trade internationally, we have transparent corporate tax rates that we are completely within our sovereign rights to set and have done well from it. When others see that they get jealous and want to take a piece of what you have. It happens the world over.
@John Moore: and all that lovely loot is squandered by the fools in the Dail.
@John Moore: Transparent? Who are ypu trying to fool with multinationals and vulture funds very little in tax.
@Brian D’Arcy: The tax rates are there for all to see. If they are lower than in many other locations that is allowed. Countries have the sovereign power to set their own tax rates. We have also signed up to the OECD min tax rate which Trump will probably abolish.
@John Moore: Doesn’t matter what he says, even if it’s obviously made up/inaccurate, their agenda is bring money/jobs home. It’s probably coming and FFG have no back up plan and have not prepared for this even though it’s inevitable at some point, whether that’s now, in the next 4 years or in 50 years.
The literal trillions upon trillions in tax cuts for the rich and corporations, along with legal tax dodges since Reagan took office are responsible for the drop in living standards in the US for the last 45 years. Every President has allowed this to happen since then.
Well he’s right that Ireland is a tax scam, it’s just not the corporation tax that’s the scam. Irish people are taxed to death. We have the third-highest personal tax burden in Europe. Income tax for people earning over €40,000 is 52% which is exorbitantly high (PAYE, PRSI, USC) and people are strongly discouraged from investing into our economy. Couple that with the 23% VAT on the majority of goods and services and you’ve got a real racket going on. Having a government that continually increases the carbon tax, inheritance tax and property tax squeezes people further. Yes, we may have a planned budget surplus this year, but the government has refused to use this money to pay off our national debt, which has increased every year since 2010. It’ll cross €225 billion by the end of the year.
@William Jennings: the overall tax burden in Ireland is relatively low by European standards -what is your source for claiming the third highest rate of personal taxation?
@lesidees: Thinks tanks like the CATO Institute, the Fraser Institute and the Tax Foundation have done numerous studies on personal tax burdens in Europe which confirms this. Only France and Belgium have a higher burden on individuals than Ireland. However, the interesting thing is that France and Belgium actually have a lower standard VAT rate than Ireland. France has theirs set at 20% and Belgium has theirs set at 21.5%. This further shows how much the Irish government squeezes taxpayers and why we need a political party in Ireland that supports free-market economics in the Dáil to pass pro-business legislation.
@lesidees: “European standards”. You mean where countries have working healthcare, transport, and superior social infrastructures in general?
@John Moore: The truth doesn’t matter in Trump America. Ludnick was even using some trump phrases.
@P. V. Aglue: You’re correct about Trumps America. But when did the truth matter in Irish politics?. Our leader says we didn’t have a bail out, he says we have no deal with that RAF, he said we were not entitled to the apple tax. And there is many many more lies he’s told the Irish people.
@Ger Whelan: Americans believe what their politicians say as gospel The irish know what’s going on whether their politicians confirm or deny it.
Irish economic policy found out and about to get destroyed in April 2nd
@Rian O’Sullivan: fk off
@Joe Beirne: You know its true just accept the facts.
@Rian O’Sullivan: what’s true
@Joe Beirne: That the Irish economy is absolutely make believe and come April 2nd is about to be absolutely destroyed. Thanks to President of Peace Trump.
@Rian O’Sullivan: Say again?
@Rian O’Sullivan: troll
@Simon Carr: Agreed you are thanks for telling us.
@Joe Beirne: Learn to read first good boy.
@Rian O’Sullivan: You are such a hero, sitting there in your own filth in your elderly mothers spare room, all your siblings much more successful than you but send you the occasional message of pity to keep your spirits up best they can. Meanwhile you stew further in your descent to new lows. But yeah, go ahead and try to wind people up on the internet, everyone here knows who the real loser is.
@Joe Beirne: Yes they do you are the loser as your life is meaningless don’t worry your dole will only be cut in half if you are lucky. That’s a good boy.
@Rian O’Sullivan: Ha right, you want to have a discussion about it, gladly have a 30 second discussion with you and show you the error of your ways. But you are a keyboard warrior so I won’t hold my breath.
Political establishment parties and government ministers only interested in a non executive board membership of these multinationals and a nice 6 figure tax free package hence they will back these companies over their fellow highly taxed low wages citizens
@Ailbhe MacThomais: can you think of any Irish politician, past or present, who is a non exec director at a US multi national?
It absolutely is and he and the rest of the world knows it well.
That was always going to come to an end eventually and it was only a question of time. The people who constantly voted for the same openly corrupt politicians will see the fruits of their blindness soon and then their priorities will drastically change course.
Do people think the government did not know this day would come? Why then do we have so much money ‘held tight’ in our coffers? Because we are going to need it when the hammer falls. Even Paschal Donahue stated this morning on radio 1 that we might expect a lower standard of living to come after April 2nd when/if severe tariffs kick in.
Taxes and regulations are huge factors in human affairs. They have trashed our housing market and made government make bad choices, spending temporary FDI tax money promoting state dependency in Ireland and unemployment and poverty in US. It’s not surprising that it could not last.
Do you think if the US was a competitive marketplace for those multi national US firms, they would be trading out of the US.
So now MAGAts care about the rule of law and rules in general?
Billy Joe: Commonsense, yes. Which is why Irish government gave such tax breaks to Applet et al. Sound business reasoning.
Ireland is not a tax scam but here’s a true statement USSA is a basket case.
It’s not tax evasion it’s just tax avoidance.
Totally legal.
The milk is turning sour. Oh dear make butter
On a few US dramas in recent years, part of the plot lines have mentioned Ireland as a tax haven…. it seems that it’s the way we are viewed rightly or wrongly. Our over reliance on foreign companies is coming back to bite us on the arás. We have a chance to rejuvenate our indigenous enterprises but not the political will, expertise, or imagination to do it. Looks like MM glad handing with the Donald and the subsequent assurances from Trump that he dosent want to hurt Ireland is just horse shiitte and only good for rose bushes.
Hate Trump and co, but “scam” seems reasonable. The Irish don’t see more than 10% of the MNC tech jobs here. They’re EU/UK and immigrant workers. Look at the housing market because of it. End it.
Bet that Burke was home schooled too.
A prime example of effeminatus in the wake of alpha male power. Ireland, along with the US and the IDA concocted the biggest washing machine in Europe, to run dirty dollars and scratch each others backs. Now that the plumbers in President Trump’s dream team are looking at the dodgy pipes, shoddy results, they are going to chuck the Paddy washing machine out and bring in a new one they can get better benefits from. Paddy will be back sitting on the wall, picking the dirt from his toes and the government will continue to tax him into oblivion. It’s a cycle and the time is nigh for payback. Sadly most people, beyond Maynooth, never saw much of the billions from the laundry.
Hoo does that American Secretary think he is, accusing us of been Tax Scammers I pay my taxes like every other Irish working person If he accused us of been a welfare state or a tax exile state ,A banana republic or a tax haven i would have some issues with that too You have to get the wording right before you start offending us proud Irish people Lets make Ireland Great Again
Donahue should be Nervous, if there’s a down turn in the economy and tax receipts fall, how are we going to pay for all the Fake refugees and economic migrants they have invited in. Bring in the 3rd World and before long you become a 3rd World kip
The US of axxholes just keeps reminding everyone,anyone that wants to end them sit back ,they will consume themselves
Lutnick is a Zionist and owned by Israel.
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