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Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Can I pay into Irish State pension from the UK?
I was born in Ireland and moved to London in 2002 ( aged 22) after graduating from university . I have been working in London since then (and will qualify for a full UK state pension upon retirement) and have no immediate plans to come home to live in Ireland. I did summer jobs in Ireland before leaving and so have paid some tax from 1997 until 2001. My query is to whether I can qualify for a full Irish State pension and what is the most straightforward way to set this up while living in London. Can I make voluntary contributions for an Irish State pension in the same way that it is possible to do for a UK pension? READ MORE Can I set up an Irish limited company and pay myself a nominal salary in order to make the required pension contributions? Is there any other way for which I can set myself up for an Irish State pension in a relatively straightforward manner? I really appreciate any help or guidance you can give me in this matter. Mr JK The principle of State contributory pensions – and other welfare benefits that are not means tested – is that you qualify on the basis of your social insurance contributions over a period of time. All countries that I am aware of have a minimum threshold before you can qualify for these benefits. In Ireland, that number is 520 – 10 years of PRSI (Pay Related Social Insurance) contributions . In your case, despite working here for a few years before heading for the UK, you are well shy of that threshold. So, as of now, you would not qualify for any Irish State pension. [ How can I find what my likely State pension will be? Opens in new window ] And, given that the 520-contribution figure is also a requirement to make voluntary PRSI contributions, you will not be eligible for that either. Even if you had those contributions, you would have fallen outside the qualification window – 60 months since your most recent paid PRSI stamp. You refer to the UK system of voluntary national insurance but it, too, has rules and a limit on how far back you can go. So there is no, as you put it, 'relatively straightforward' way you can set myself up for an Irish State pension. Could you set up a limited company here as a vehicle to allow you to pay contributions? To be honest, I'm not across company law sufficiently to answer one way or the other, but one thought comes to mind – why bother? There are costs involved in setting up and running a limited company even if it were possible. More pertinently, your life now is in the UK. You have spent your entire adult working life since graduation in the UK, it is your home and, by your own admission, you have no real intention to return to Ireland. [ Am I too late to apply to boost my UK pension? Opens in new window ] If you were eligible for a State contributory pension, it could be paid to you in the UK but it seems to me that you would be far better to invest in a private pension in the UK, availing of the tax relief available and with more control over its investment priorities. You are currently 45 with the possibility/ likelihood of 20+ years left in your working life. As I understand it, you can get tax relief at 20 per cent on any money you invest over there in a private pension and a 25-year investment window is more than enough to deliver a strong return. I am conscious there was a lot of talk recently about Irish residents who had worked in the UK for a time beefing up their UK national insurance record to qualify for or increase a future UK state pensions but that was different for two reasons. First, the qualifying criteria were lower under a special amnesty arrangement and second the cost of purchasing that extra entitlement was attractive for many people. Please send your queries to Dominic Coyle, Q&A, The Irish Times, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, or by email to , with a contact phone number. This column is a reader service and is not intended to replace professional advice
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Rent-a-Room explainer: How to earn up to €14k tax-free by opening your home to a lodger
The Rent-a-Room scheme (RAR), launched way back in 2001 and now approved by the Government until 2027, has been described as everything from a band-aid on the housing crisis to a vital lifesaver for desperate house-hunters, pensioners, separated individuals and struggling students. For anyone with a spare room or an independent living space structurally attached to their home, it's a very attractive prospect if the environment is right, you are temperamentally suited to the arrangement and open to a lifestyle change. Renting out a room or suitable accommodation to a private individual using RAR can deliver a tax credit of up to €14,000 per year (not including for PRSI and Universal Social Charges). Broken down into a few monthly lets or used year long, this figure is well in excess of the price of all student housing over the 38 to 40 weeks of a typical academic year in college. RAR is very useful for professionals working away from home for a longer contract, who want to cut the weekly commute. For tax purposes, Revenue demands that the home you're sharing must be your primary residence, and the renter must occupy the room or unit within the house for 28 consecutive days. Occasional accommodation falls under short-term lets for tax purposes, but four- to five-day occupancy for properly set, shorter or longer periods is acceptable under RAR once a proper licence is in place. If you're interested in pledging a place in your home for a refugee, the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) of €600 per month for hosting a refugee recognised under the EU Temporary Protection Directive, can be combined with RAR if you meet the criteria for both schemes. ARP is only set to continue until March 2026. Using RAR with a licence agreement as the tenant, you can apply for a valuable rent tax credit from Revenue (including renting RAR accommodation for a child on an approved educational course). As a homeowner or leaseholder, there are lesser-known details to the scheme that might make it interesting for anyone from a retiree to a young family to carefully consider as part of their financial planning. For instance, although you cannot rent out your space under the scheme to your spouse, civil partner or partner, son or daughter, extended family members are not totally precluded. You could use the scheme for a grandchild, nephew, niece or cousin. Martina Hennessy, managing director at Doddl: 'Mortgage lenders do not take this potential income into account as it is non-taxable and is not deemed to be earned income for mortgage assessment.' Since December 2023, the scheme has also included the opportunity for local authority tenants to rent out a room to a student or to someone getting a housing assistance payment. Once approved by your local authority, the tax credit of €14,000 will be honoured by Revenue, and this will not affect most means-tested social welfare payments. This €14,000 ceiling set by Revenue (before tax kicks in) includes charges for laundry, utilities, and foodstuffs. As a local authority tenant renting to a student, Citizens Information set out the parameters here (both must make an application for every academic year), and the authority will review the rent you are paying as a local authority tenant: As a landlord You must not have any rent arrears, or if there are arrears, you must have a payment plan in place You must be complying with the terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement with the local authority Your local authority home must be in good condition and be well-maintained Your home must not become overcrowded if you rent a room to a student As a student, you must Be a registered full-time student at a higher education institution. You must provide proof of this Be over 18 Not be closely related to the local authority tenant you are renting from Not have engaged in anti-social behaviour Be tax-compliant Tenants and homeowners It's not well understood that RAR is open to tenants as well as private homeowners. If your landlord is agreeable, you can sublet under the scheme, following the same guidelines as if you owned the house or apartment. Obviously, don't even approach this sort of tenancy before getting full permission in writing from the owner or property management team. Could an RAR-operating home help to improve a mortgage? Martina Hennessy, founder and CEO of digital mortgage brokers says: 'Mortgage lenders do not take this potential income into account as it is non-taxable and is not deemed to be earned income for mortgage assessment. While you may have the ability to rent a room, a mortgage lender will not allow this income to be included to increase mortgage lending under a home loan mortgage application. Rental income can only be taken into the mortgage assessment for a buy-to-let property. If you have a self-contained unit that was originally part of the property, there are a couple of extra things to know that could protect your position, but which may give someone looking for accommodation pause. First of all, the same rights and responsibilities will apply as if you were letting to someone under a normal lease (Residential Tenancies Act 2004), and the standards for the property must meet a set baseline. You must also register the rental with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). On the flip side, those signing up to the RAR mechanism can opt out of a typical 'right-to-stay' requirement covering a designated period of time. As a landlord, you must inform your potential renter in writing that you're opting out of this clause so that they are fully aware of what they are signing up for. On the other hand, renting out a spare room in the house itself, as a tenant, there's no minimum standard to be met, and no protection under the Residential Tenancies Act. Many householders within the vicinity of a place of further education or, for instance, a hospital, find the licence-based renting agreement perfect for their situation, as renting out just a room, there's more flexibility and no binding lease. This can lead to a happy win-win situation that continues for years, or weekly misery for a vulnerable tenant finally pushed out under 'reasonable notice.' Students renting under the RAR scheme can be pressured to absent themselves over weekends, even where this is not actually designated in the licence (it can be). Self-contained but not structurally separated areas of your home including basements, converted attics and garages can be used for the Rent a Room scheme but there are added conditions. File picture Opening up your home so intimately to a stranger is not something to be taken lightly. The scheme focuses on spare bedrooms and self-contained annexes like converted garages and attics that are fully part of the house. Detached buildings currently do not qualify for the Rent-a-Room scheme. As a landlord and tenant, you're a bit more present in each other's lives. In some cases, the arrangement will include sharing living spaces, the kitchen and even the bathroom, depending on the layout of your property — a classic 'digs' arrangement. Some empty-nesters taking on younger renters will enjoy the new refreshing energy brought back to a larger, rattling home where the chicks have flown. That said, life is about compromise, and you cannot expect a grown adult to tiptoe around your house in monastic quiet, even five days a week. It's hard to preserve the typical stipulation of 'undisturbed occupancy' at every turn. Older adult tenants may prove to be just as challenging as a first-year engineering student. As a landlord and renter, ensure you work out the house rules in a proper licence agreement that you will both sign. This will include (at least) what length of reasonable notice there is if the arrangement does not work out, expectations regarding utility bill payments, noise, deposit arrangements, house rules covering things like overnight guests and cleaning, and a set rental payment schedule. There's a good guide here. When renting any room, choose your home and prospective share carefully. Pushed up just that bit closer to the property owner or lease holder, things could prove extremely awkward and stressful. There's an excellent page outlining your rights when sharing a home online at Read More Medical card assessment to disregard €14k-rent-a room scheme income
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Uttarakhand women leaders discuss equity & inclusion at empowerment meet
Dehradun: Policymakers, educators, civil society members and women leaders from across Uttarakhand gathered in Dehradun for "Uttarakhand Empowering Women 2025," an event focused on advancing gender equity and empowerment. Organized by TOI, PRSI (Public Relations Society of India) Dehradun chapter, and The Loop Project, the event included panel discussions, keynote addresses, and a felicitation ceremony recognising local women leaders. Iva Srivastava, director of citizen registration (CDR), Uttarakhand, delivered the keynote address. Highlighting the importance of visibility in data, decisions, and dialogue, she stated, "Empowerment begins with recognition; and recognition comes from visibility." Ravi Bijarnia, president of PRSI Uttarakhand chapter and deputy director of the information department, spoke on the role of media and civil society in amplifying women's voices. He emphasised the importance of partnerships between grassroots movements and communication networks in enabling long-term change. Two panel discussions explored systemic and legal aspects of women's empowerment. The first, moderated by Ulka Tiwari of Doon Business School, featured Anita Rawat, the first woman to head Uttarakhand Science Education and Research Centre (USERC), Aparna Bahuguna, additional project director with the rural development department, and Tanaya Ahluwalia Nath, co-founder of Shunya India. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The panelists discussed institutional challenges and strategies for inclusive development in the state. The second panel, also moderated by Tiwari, focused on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and its implications for women's rights. Aabshar Abbasi, professor at Doon University and advocate Pallavi Ghai of the Dehradun district court discussed legal frameworks and how they intersect with gender justice. Later, twelve women from across Uttarakhand were felicitated for their work in fields including healthcare, education, arts, and entrepreneurship.
The Journal
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Irish restaurateur says restaurants' bad business decisions are why they're closing
PROMINENT IRISH RESTAURATEUR Oliver Dunne has said current restaurant closures are largely due to poor decisions businesses made during and after Covid. Dunne suggested current pressures on hospitality businesses such as reduced bookings and higher costs are not the main factor behind a spate of closures. There have been over 150 in the past six months alone, which the restaurants lobby has attributed the closures to soaring business costs. Speaking to The Last Word on Today FM, the chef said 'the vast majority of the hospitality industry is in a slump like I've never witnessed before'. He added that some restaurants are hiking prices 'way past the level' that is acceptable. Dunne said many bad business decisions were made after the pandemic, particularly in relation to VAT warehousing. VAT warehousing was a scheme launched during the Covid-19 pandemic to help keep business afloat by allowing them to delay paying tax owed. Delays in paying employer PRSI were also allowed. Dunne said: 'A lot of reasons why a lot of places go bust and close down is because of bad business decisions that they've made over the years. Those restaurants, when they close, they purport it to be a downturn of business, and don't actually say they kept a couple of hundred thousand worth of VAT that they spent.' Advertisement He said more restaurants will close. 'The weak will go, the strong will remain,' he added. Dunne's Asian-fusion Temple Bar restaurant, Cleaver East, will close next month for the final time after a decade in business. It's closing due to the renovation of The Clarence Hotel ; they are in the same building complex. Oliver Dunne's restaurant Cleaver East in Temple Bar will close next month. David Cantwell David Cantwell His restaurants include Michelin starred restaurant Bon Appétit in Malahide, ONE Ballsbridge Bar and Restaurant and Beef & Lobster Dublin and Galway. Dunne has seen a 20% decrease in bookings across his ten restaurants between 2024 and 2025. He said restaurant businesses have also been hit by the increase in the cost of ingredients. Less tourism and a change in habits during Covid are also at play. 'I think Covid taught everyone that going out early, coming back early, maybe wasn't a bad thing,' he said. Dunne said his restaurants are now more likely to be full early in the evening, while Friday nights rea not as busy for the restaurant industry any more. Business on Thursdays has increased. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Hans India
16-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
PRSI & NMDC celebrate World Public Relations Day
Hyderabad Chapter of the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), in collaboration with National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), celebrated World Public Relations Day today i.e., 16th July, 2025 with great enthusiasm and professional fervour on Wednesday evening at the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI), Red Hills, Hyderabad. The event commemorated the legacy of Ivy Ledbetter Lee, regarded as the father of modern public relations and focused on the evolving role of Public Relations in diplomacy, governance, corporate communication and media. Delivering the keynote address, Lion Dr. Kiran Kumar, Honorary Consul of Bulgaria in Hyderabad for the State of Telangana, emphasized the critical role of public relations in nurturing trust and brand image in the society. "Public Relations is not just a communication tool, but a bridge that connects people, cultures, and countries," he remarked requesting PR professionals to take Initiative to spread positivity. He said that he had learnt a lot from PRSI to reach out people in his business development. He declared Rs 1 lakh for the PRSI corpus fund. Dr. S. Ramu, senior Journalist and Journalism educator, who presided over the programme, reflected on the significance of World Public Relations Day, highlighting the need of ethics, truth and transparency in PR practice in the highly polarized world. Dr. K. Yadagiri, Chairman of PRSI Hyderabad Chapter, spoke about PRSI's nationwide footprint and its professional development initiatives aimed at enriching PR knowledge and capabilities across sectors. Smt. Aparna Rajhans, Secretary of PRSI Hyderabad Chapter, appreciated the support extended by NMDC in co-hosting professional development programms, underlining the importance of such partnerships in elevating public relations as a strategic discipline. The celebration saw the presence of several distinguished PR practitioners, Office Bearers, Executive Committee Members National Council Representatives, Patrons and Advisors of the Chapter as well as PR & Journalism faculty and students from leading institutions. In a heartfelt felicitation, the Chapter honoured Dr. S. Ramu for his dedicated service and leadership as Chairman during the previous term. His contributions to building strong institutional partnerships and mentoring young professionals were warmly acknowledged by the fraternity.
