New Finance Bill Delivers Critically Important Protections for Civil Partners
Resource type: News
Today the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan TD., published Finance (No.3) Bill 2011 which will give effect to the taxation aspects of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights of Cohabitants Act 2010.
The Finance Bill will allow for civil partners to be treated the same as married couples for taxation purposes, including income tax, stamp duty, capital acquisitions tax, capital gains tax and VAT.
“GLEN strongly welcomes the publication by the Government of the Finance Bill. This is a critically important development for civil partners. It provides important certainty and security for the many same-sex couples who have registered or are planning to register their civil partnerships” said Kieran Rose, Chair of GLEN.
The Bill also provides that a child whose parent is in a civil partnership will be treated the same, for tax purposes, as a child of a married couple. This means, for example, that children of civil partners will be treated the same for inheritance tax as children of a married couple.
“GLEN particularly welcomes the inclusion of children of civil partners in the Finance Bill. This provides important new financial protections for children being parented by same-sex couples” said Eoin Collins, Director of Policy Change in GLEN.
The Government committed in the Programme for Government to bring forward the tax aspects of Civil Partnership. The previous government had committed to introduce the necessary provisions to provide for equal treatment in the tax codes for civil partners, but this was not possible due to the early election.
“The all-party support for Civil Partnership and for the tax and finance provisions provides further evidence of the commitment by the Government and by all parties in the Oireachtas to further progress for lesbian and gay people” continued Kieran Rose.
The Bill provides for the tax provisions to apply for the full year tax year of 2011. This means that couples who have already entered a civil partnership in Ireland or whose foreign same-sex marriage or civil partnership is now recognised in Ireland will be able to apply the tax provisions retrospectively to the date of their civil partnership in Ireland, or from 13th January 2011 which was the date of recognition of a wide range of foreign same-sex legal relationships.
The Bill also provides for the taxation consequences of the redress scheme for both opposite-sex and same-sex cohabiting couples provided for in the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights of Cohabitants Act 2010.
For Further Information, contact:
Eoin Collins, GLEN +353 87 927 3341
Brian Sheehan, GLEN +353 86 233 0417
In the Media:
>Groundbreaking bill stops short of full equality, Sunday Business Post, 19 June 2011
>Tax officers to advise civil partners, Sunday Business Post, 19 June 2011
The Gay & Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) is an Atlantic grantee.
For more information on GLEN visit http://www.glen.ie