Making Ireland a more attractive place for FDI, via making it attractive for workers to come and live here is difficult when the environment is one of higher and higher taxes. This post examines Ireland’s changing competitiveness. It first looks at how a family’s mortgage repayment will change between 2005 and 2015. It also examines how after-tax, after-rent income in Ireland compares internationally, finding that significant tax increases are compatible with international competitiveness when offset by falling costs of accommodation.
Two very important reports were released last week, highlighting Ireland’s strong international competitiveness. The first was the World Bank Doing Business rankings for 2011, where Ireland ranked 9th in the world. The second was the IBM Global Investment Trends report, which highlighted Ireland as the top location for FDI jobs on the planet in 2009. This pipeline remains strong, and the post highlights 12 announcements over the past month that are creating 1,200 jobs around Ireland.
This post reviews the latest Paying Taxes report by the World Bank. It highlights a huge challenge for the EU, which aims to become the most competitive economy in the world, as very few of its member states have a globally competitive regulatory system. An analysis of the report’s figures shows the EU has attempted to build its success on efficient corporate tax systems, while labour taxes remain hugely inefficient.
A quick overview of Sections 1 and 3 of the IMF report on Ireland, which look at economic competitiveness, prices and wages, and taxes and public expenditure.
