The talk about Ireland’s corporate tax rate, mostly by France, has not waned as Ireland pushes for more favourable terms on its mountain of debt accrued protecting European banks. This post examines cross-country data on the true rates of tax paid by companies in the eurozone. While Ireland’s rate of 12% is close to its headline and the Eurozone average of 14%, France’s rate is just 8%. This – and growing evidence that higher corporate taxes hamper investment and entrepreneurship – are two very solid reasons for Ireland to insist on maintaining its sovereignty.