May 2014
22
USC - Increase for medical card holders?
The removal of a ‘concession’ to medical card holders earning under €60,000 by which they did not have to pay the 7% rate of Universal Social Charge (USC) is scheduled to hit in January 2015. The move will affect full medical card holders earning more than €16,016 and less than €60,000. Currently full medical card holders with earnings under €60,000 are exempt from the 7% rate of USC; the 4% rate applies to all income over €10,036. It is estimated that this measure will affect approximately 360,000 taxpayers. On a salary of €40,000 the increase would be in excess of €700.
If the Government does not reconsider, this will coincide with the demands for the first Water Tax payment and comes shortly after the introduction of Local Property Tax (LPT). The Finance Minister Michael Noonan says that when the levy was implemented by Fianna Fail under the so-called sunset clause, the lower rate was set to expire in January 2015 but that does not mean it can’t be extended in the same way as the 9% rate of VAT was last year.
It has also been revealed that the 10% rate of USC for those self employed earning in excess of €100,000 will be reduced to 7% which is a significant cut for high earners.
Budget 2015 in October will reveal all!!!
