Home Carer Tax Credit

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Budget 2019 increased the Home Carer Tax Credit from €1,200 to €1,500 per annum. This tax credit is available to married couples or registered civil partners, where one spouse stays at home to care for a “dependant”.

A dependant can be:
  • a child for whom child benefit is payable;
  • a person aged 65 years or over; or
  • an incapacitated individual.

It does not include a spouse or partner. Often there may be one or more dependants being cared for by the carer spouse. This does not increase the tax credit available.

The Home Carer Tax Credit is often unclaimed as there is a misconception that you must be caring for a sick relative. This is not the case.

Conditions to qualify:
  • You must be jointly assessed for income tax.
  • The dependant person must normally reside with the carer for the tax year. However, if the dependant person is a relative, they can live next door, on the same property or within 2kms of the carer. A relative includes a relative by marriage or a person for whom the claimant is a legal guardian, but not a spouse or civil partner. However, there must be a direct communication link between the two residences such as a telephone or alarm system.
  • The carer spouse must have income of €7,200 per annum or less (excluding any carers benefit or payments received from the Department of Social Protection). If you earn more than €7,200 but less than €10,200 per annum, you may claim a reduced credit:

For example, if the carer spouse earns €8,200 per annum, the maximum tax credit that can be claimed is reduced by the additional earnings as follows €8,200-€7,200=€1,000/2 = €500. The tax credit is reduced by €500 giving a maximum credit of €1,000 available.

If the carer spouse earns €10,200 or above, no Home Carer Tax Credit is available.

This tax credit cannot be claimed alongside the increased standard rate bands for married couples/civil partners. Revenue will grant you the more beneficial option.

Remember; if you qualified for the Home Carer Tax Credit in any of the past 4 tax years (2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015), you can still make a claim to Revenue for it.

If you require any assistance with the home carer tax credit, please contact us.

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Crowleys DFK appoints new Partner to its growing firm

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27 August 2019 – Crowleys DFK, one of Ireland’s leading accounting, tax and advisory firms, is delighted to announce the appointment of David Coombes as a Partner in its Public Sector Services Department.

New Partner Promtion: David Coombes, Partner, Public Sector Services

Pictured: (l-r) James O’Connor, Managing Partner and David Coombes, Partner, Public Sector Services

David joins the partner group having previously held the position of Director within the Public Sector Services team. David joined the firm in 2006 and is highly experienced leading public sector financial and business advisory assignments in areas such as financial reporting framework implementation, management information system design, strategic finance support, risk management and governance compliance.

Commenting on the appointment, Managing Partner, James O’Connor said, “David’s appointment, along with our other senior promotions announcement last month, reflects the firm’s continued strong growth and our commitment to the long-term career development of our staff. I am delighted to see so many of our people moving ahead in their careers.

I would like to congratulate David on this important career milestone. His appointment is a thoroughly deserved recognition of the outstanding contribution he has made to the growth of the practice over the years and for his hard work and commitment to the firm and to our clients.”

New Partner Promotion: David Coombes and Vincent Teo

Pictured: (l-r) Vincent Teo, Partner and Head of Public Sector Services and David Coombes, Partner, Public Sector Services

According to Vincent Teo, Partner and Head of the Public Sector Services Department, “Crowleys DFK remains one of only a handful of accountancy firms in Ireland with a dedicated Public Sector Department. As the Department reports rapid year on year growth, it is important for us to have strong leadership to carry on this momentum, and to ensure that we deliver a seamless and consistent service to our public sector clients as they navigate the substantial financial reporting, governance and internal control compliance that is placed upon them.

David’s appointment will provide a great boost to the leadership team. He is consistently well regarded by clients and is a great addition to our partner group.”

Commenting on his promotion to Partner, David Coombes said: “I’m delighted to have been given this opportunity and feel very fortunate to be part of a firm which offers the best career development opportunities possible for its staff. I see an exciting future ahead for both the firm and the Public Sector Services Department. I look forward to working closely with the Partners and our talented team to continue to grow the firm and broaden our services to our clients.”

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Fiduciary Duties of a Company Director

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The Companies Act 2014 for the first time has set out the principal fiduciary duties of a company director. Fiduciary duties are in addition to other statutory duties under the Companies Act 2014 and other legislation. The principal fiduciary duties of a company director are owed to the company, and the company alone.

The principal fiduciary duties of a company director are to:

  • Act in good faith in what the director considers to be the interest of the company.
  • Act honestly and responsibly in relation to the conduct of the affairs of the company.
  • Act in accordance with the company’s constitution and exercise his or her powers only for the purposes allowed by law.
  • Not benefit from or use the company’s property, information or opportunities for his or her own or anyone else’s benefit unless the company’s constitution permits it or a resolution is passed in a general meeting.
  • Not agree to restrict the director’s power to exercise an independent judgment unless this is expressly permitted by the company’s constitution.
  • Avoid any conflict between the director’s duties to the company and the director’s other interests unless the director is released from his or her duty to the company in relation to the matter concerned.
  • Exercise the care, skill and diligence which would be reasonably expected of a person in the same position with similar knowledge and experience as a director. A director may be held liable for any loss resulting from their negligent behaviour.

For further information on the impact of fiduciary duties on your company’s board of directors please contact Emma Dunne, Manager in our Corporate Compliance Department.

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Crowleys DFK Support Cork SMEs’ Global Success

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Edward Murphy, Head of Tax, was featured in Cork Chamber’s 200th anniversary magazine. He discusses Cork, the local Cork SME sector and it’s success on the domestic and global stage.

You can read the full interview below.

Q:   What’s it like to do business in Ireland’s fastest growing city region?

A:   It’s hard not to be excited by the hive of activity in Cork in recent years – from the myriad of new developments, a growing workforce and a thriving third-level education sector to the region’s continued success in attracting high-value overseas investment. However, it’s the global success of our indigenous Cork SME sector that is, perhaps the most exciting.

Q:   Why have indigenous Cork SMEs been so successful locally and globally?

A:   While Cork has a well-earned reputation in attracting and retaining foreign direct investment, the support it offers homegrown entrepreneurs and SMEs is second to none. Innovation and the ambition to think globally is nurtured through an excellent support ecosystem of start-up incubators, accelerator programmes and research, development and innovation hubs; backed by local business organisations, third-level institutions, and public and private investors.

Q:   What are the key challenges facing SMEs looking to expand overseas?

A:   The continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit is currently the biggest challenge facing SMEs that trade with the UK. However, a constant challenge relevant to all markets is access to local, trusted and reliable professional connections and advice overseas. This is a key step in any global expansion strategy and is often a major stumbling block for many businesses. Understanding how to do business in a new jurisdiction can be time consuming and expensive when you don’t have a local relationship or know where to go to get the proper advice.

Q:   Can you describe how Crowleys DFK can help SMEs with their international growth strategies?

A:   At Crowleys DFK, we understand the challenges faced by our SME and owner-managed business clients. We are proud of the reputation and long-term relationships we have built with them over the years. They represent a diverse range of today’s most innovative and high-performing industries and sectors, including information and communications technology, life sciences, manufacturing and consumer products.

We have been a member of DFK International since 1993. This worldwide association of independent accounting, tax and business advisory firms has over 220 member firms covering 92 countries. We have a long history of working with other DFK Firms. It’s through these strong relationships that we can deliver a complete international service to clients.

Whether it’s getting advice on taking on two employees in Germany, accessing capital markets in London or New York or helping technology companies expand into San Francisco, we connect our clients with trusted professionals throughout the world. In many cases our clients prefer to deal with us and in these instances, we instruct the other DFK firms. This means clients can concentrate on their business and don’t need to spend time developing new relationships abroad.

We have all the right connections to help businesses achieve their ambitions – locally and globally.

Contact us today for expert advice on growing your SME.

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Skydive Raises Over €6,500 for Cork ARC

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10 brave souls from Crowleys DFK took to the skies last month in an effort to raise funds and awareness for Cork ARC Cancer Support House.

Crowleys DFK have been working with Charity Partner of the Year, Cork ARC, since the beginning of 2019. Cork ARC offer invaluable specialist professional services and emotional support to people with cancer and their families. The majority of their running costs are based on voluntary donations and fundraising efforts. Witnessing first-hand the fantastic work of Cork ARC, inspired 10 Crowleys DFK employees to take to the skies and plunge 10,000ft from an airplane at a speed of 200km per hour. The goal of this skydive was to raise awareness and funds to help Cork ARC continue providing their services free of charge.

The group took the leap for charity at the Irish Parachute Club in Offaly in June 2019. Setting out with an initial fundraising target of €2,600, their incredible efforts have raised over €6,500 for Cork ARC.

For many of the group, it was their first skydive and there are already plans to make it an annual event!

A big well done to all participants and sponsors for getting involved in such a worthy cause.

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Crowleys DFK Launch New Website

Crowleys DFK are excited to announce the launch of our new website.

With a fresh look and feel, the new site offers visitors the opportunity to navigate through the service offerings with ease. This has taken a few months of hard work to complete which was supported by all staff in the firm and they are delighted with the results.

Director of Practice Development, Kim McCarthy, said;

“Our re-launched website provides a better user experience for connecting with our new and existing clients. It helps users to quickly and easily navigate through the website. This launch reflects the continued development and growth at Crowleys DFK.”

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Crowleys DFK Announces Key Promotions

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Crowleys DFK today announced a number of senior promotions to Director and Manager positions across the Firm.

Shane Moloney and Donna Gould have been promoted to Director while Emma Hanifin, David Stuart and Rosalyn Banua have all been promoted to Manager roles.

Managing Partner, James O’Connor, said: “We are delighted to announce these exciting new promotions. They are well-deserved and reflect the hard work, professional growth and commitment of all those promoted.”

New Directors Shane Moloney and Donna Gould joined Crowleys DFK as Chartered Accountant trainees in 2012 and 2010 respectively.

After qualifying, Shane moved from audit into the firm’s advisory team, specialising in Cloud Accounting and Business Process Improvement Services. Recently he has led a number of high-level client advisory assignments, including implementing business outsourcing and performance improvement projects for clients across a range of sectors.

Previously a Manager in the firm’s Accounting Services Department, Donna played a central role in the expansion of the Department in recent years. She is highly regarded by clients in both the public and private sectors and her promotion to Accounting Services Director further strengthens this core business service and ensures that the Department is well placed to continue to grow.

Emma Hanifin also joined the firm as a Chartered Accountant trainee. Her high quality project management skills and dedication to exceptional service delivery sees her promoted to Advisory Manager, specialising in Project Advisory Services.

David Stuart has been promoted to Manager in our Accounting Services and Outsourcing Department. A Chartered Certified Accountant and Xero accredited to the highest achievable level, David will manage our Cloud Accounting Services.

An experienced Internal Auditor, Rosalyn Banua has been promoted to Manager of the firm’s Governance, Risk and Compliance Department. Since joining the firm in 2015, Rosa has worked with an extensive portfolio of publicly funded bodies, semi-state agencies and private sector organisations.

James concluded: “We believe that these promotions are an important building block in our future growth ambitions and the further enhancement of our services to clients. It also highlights our commitment to the long-term career development of our staff.”

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No-Deal Brexit – Trading with the UK

In the event that there is a no-deal Brexit, the UK will be leaving the EU. This will result in withdrawal from the customs union and single market with no alternative trade agreement in place. In this case, customs formalities will apply to trade between Ireland and the UK, just as they would with any other non-EU country.

Revenue have recently issued a communication to Irish traders who import or export goods into or out of the UK. They advise applying for an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number. If you are a trader who imports or exports goods into or out of the EU, you are required to have an EORI number.

The purpose of the EORI system is to ensure that EU traders can safely and securely import and export goods to and from non-EU countries using a unique number that is valid throughout the whole European Community and is accessible to European Community customs authorities. The EORI number must be used in all communications with any European Community customs authority where a customs identifier is needed.

If no deal is agreed for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, Irish traders will need an EORI number in order to continue importing and exporting goods to and from the UK. The application process for an EORI number can take several days. Early application is advised to ensure the continued flow of trade.

When importing or exporting goods to or from a non-EU country, goods will be withheld at customs unless both the importer and the exporter of the goods have EORI numbers. It is important to ensure that your UK trading partners are also EORI registered.

If you register under the EORI system, certain information will be stored on the centralised EORI database. This will be updated by each European Member State. The following lists the type of data that would be stored on the EORI systems:

  • EORI Number
  • Registered Name
  • Address of establishment/residence
  • VAT registration number
  • Legal status
  • Date of establishment
  • Contact information

You may already be registered on the EORI system. You can check by using this tool and searching your Irish VAT registration number and adding the prefix “IE”, e.g. IE1234567P.

If you require any assistance with the EORI system or further details on the above, please contact us.

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Crowleys DFK Announces Cork ARC Cancer Support House as Charity Partner

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Crowleys DFK Charity Partner of the Year

Crowleys DFK is delighted to announce Cork ARC Cancer Support House as its inaugural Charity Partner of the Year for 2019.

Speaking about the announcement, James O’Connor, Crowleys DFK Managing Partner said,

“Crowleys DFK has a long history of successfully fundraising for and contributing to a wide variety of very worthy charities and causes over the years. The launch of our Charity of the Year Programme enables us to channel the charitable efforts of the firm and our staff to support an Irish charity each year and make a meaningful impact”.

The selection of Cork ARC Cancer Support House as the 2019 charity was as a result of a staff charity nomination process.

Over the coming year, Crowleys DFK staff in Dublin and Cork will organise, fundraise, and participate in a number of events to raise funds in aid of Cork ARC. We will also promote awareness of the range of invaluable specialist professional services and emotional support Cork ARC offers people with cancer and their families. Details of the programme events will be announced over the coming weeks and months.

Colette Nagle, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Crowleys DFK added,

“We are proud to support Cork ARC and play a part in supporting the great work that they do. We are looking forward to fundraising as much as we can for them through various events and activities. Our Charity of the Year Programme is just one way we can make a difference to the communities we work in.”

CEO of Cork ARC Cancer Support House, Aileen O’Neill said

“Cork ARC are delighted to be chosen as Crowley’s DFK charity partner. We look forward to their support for 2019, and to making a continued positive impact on the lives of all those affected by cancer in our community.’’

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Help to Buy Incentive

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The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme to help first time property buyers. It helps with the deposit needed to buy or build a new house or apartment. In order to claim the HTB scheme, you must:

  • Be a first-time buyer
  • Take out a mortgage that is at least 70% of the purchase value of the property
  • Be tax compliant
  • Live in the property for a minimum of 5 years after purchase

To qualify, you must have not bought or built a house or apartment previously on your own or jointly with any other person. You will still qualify for HTB if you have previously inherited or have been gifted a property.

The HTB scheme is back dated to include homes bought from 19 July 2016 and will be available to 31 December 2019. If the property was purchased between 19 July 2016 and 31 December 2016, the price of the property must be €600,000 or less. If the property is bought between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2019, the property must cost €500,000 or less.

The amount you can claim is the lessor of the following:

  • €20,000
  • 5% of the purchase price of the new home.
  • The amount of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) you have paid in the previous 4 tax years.

Regardless of the amount of people who enter into the contract to buy or build the property, the cap of €20,000 applies. Universal Service Charge (USC) and Pay related Social Insurance (PRSI) are not considered when calculating the amount you are entitled to claim.

If you purchased or built the property between 19 July 2016 and 31 December 2016, the refund will be issued directly to you. If you buy a new build between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2019, the refund will be issued to your contractor. The contractor must be approved by Revenue. If you self-build, the refund is paid to a bank account held with your mortgage provider.

Revenue may clawback the refund if:

  • You do not live in the property for 5 years
  • You do not complete the process to buy the house
  • You were not entitled to the refund
  • The property is not completed

Once the property is built or bought, you have the sole responsibility of complying with the conditions for the HTB refund.

If you require any assistance with HTB or  further details on the above, please contact us.

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