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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Trump's claim of Irish corporate tax cut is 'fake news', says prime minister | Trump's claim of Irish corporate tax cut is 'fake news', says prime minister |
| (about 15 hours later) | |
| Leo Varadkar denies plans to cut rate from 12.5% to 8% | |
| President is proposing to cut US corporation tax to 20% | |
| Henry McDonald Ireland Correspondent | |
| Wed 18 Oct 2017 18.24 BST | |
| Last modified on Wed 18 Oct 2017 18.36 BST | |
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| The Irish prime minister has accused Donald Trump of peddling “fake news” after the US president wrongly claimed that Ireland plans to further reduce its much-criticised 12.5% corporation tax. | The Irish prime minister has accused Donald Trump of peddling “fake news” after the US president wrongly claimed that Ireland plans to further reduce its much-criticised 12.5% corporation tax. |
| Trump angered Irish officials with his comments at a White House briefing on Monday, in which he alleged that Ireland was going to cut the tax on corporations such as Apple, Google and Facebook to 8%. | Trump angered Irish officials with his comments at a White House briefing on Monday, in which he alleged that Ireland was going to cut the tax on corporations such as Apple, Google and Facebook to 8%. |
| “I hear that Ireland is going to be reducing their corporate rates down to 8% from 12,” Trump told reporters. | “I hear that Ireland is going to be reducing their corporate rates down to 8% from 12,” Trump told reporters. |
| But the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, denied the allegation during prime minister’s questions in the Dail (Irish parliament) on Wednesday. | But the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, denied the allegation during prime minister’s questions in the Dail (Irish parliament) on Wednesday. |
| “I can confirm that President Trump’s claim that we are proposing to reduce our corporation profit tax to 8% is indeed fake news. There is no such plan to do so,” Varadkar said in response to a parliamentary question. | “I can confirm that President Trump’s claim that we are proposing to reduce our corporation profit tax to 8% is indeed fake news. There is no such plan to do so,” Varadkar said in response to a parliamentary question. |
| Ireland’s low 12.5% corporation tax has been used as key fiscal policy to attract some of the world’s largest multinationals to the country. | Ireland’s low 12.5% corporation tax has been used as key fiscal policy to attract some of the world’s largest multinationals to the country. |
| The likes of Apple, Microsoft and other mainly US corporations flock to Ireland to use it as a beachhead into the European market. But fellow EU states such as France have criticised the 12.5% rate, accusing the Irish of bribing multinationals with low-tax sweeteners. | The likes of Apple, Microsoft and other mainly US corporations flock to Ireland to use it as a beachhead into the European market. But fellow EU states such as France have criticised the 12.5% rate, accusing the Irish of bribing multinationals with low-tax sweeteners. |
| Successive Irish governments have robustly defended the 12.5% rate, arguing that it has created hundreds of thousands of jobs through foreign direct investment. | Successive Irish governments have robustly defended the 12.5% rate, arguing that it has created hundreds of thousands of jobs through foreign direct investment. |
| In response to the latest criticism of the tax rate from across the Atlantic, Varadkar said: “Our corporate profit tax is 12.5%, has been for a very long time through changes of government, through recessions and through periods of growth, and it is as much that certainty that is as important to business as anything else.” | In response to the latest criticism of the tax rate from across the Atlantic, Varadkar said: “Our corporate profit tax is 12.5%, has been for a very long time through changes of government, through recessions and through periods of growth, and it is as much that certainty that is as important to business as anything else.” |
| Trump has argued that the United States should reduce corporation tax at home to 20% to stop the flight of American multinationals, often from the hi-tech or big pharma sectors, from relocating to Ireland. | Trump has argued that the United States should reduce corporation tax at home to 20% to stop the flight of American multinationals, often from the hi-tech or big pharma sectors, from relocating to Ireland. |
| The United States has also recently come under criticism in Northern Ireland over plane-making giant Boeing’s attempt to have import tariffs imposed on rival Bombardier because the latter receives state support. | The United States has also recently come under criticism in Northern Ireland over plane-making giant Boeing’s attempt to have import tariffs imposed on rival Bombardier because the latter receives state support. |
| Boeing’s legal actions in the US have put in peril up to 2,000 jobs in Bombardier’s Belfast plant which manufactures the wings for its C-series jets. | Boeing’s legal actions in the US have put in peril up to 2,000 jobs in Bombardier’s Belfast plant which manufactures the wings for its C-series jets. |
| Ireland | |
| Leo Varadkar | |
| Donald Trump | |
| Europe | |
| news | |
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