Ireland
1. Ireland was reviewed as part of the 2017/2018 and the 2018/2019 peer reviews. This report is supplementary to those previous reports (OECD, 2019[1]) (OECD, 2018[2]).
2. The first filing obligation for a CbC report in Ireland applies to reporting fiscal years commencing on or after 1 January 2016.
Summary of key findings
3. Ireland’s implementation of the Action 13 minimum standard meets all applicable terms of reference (OECD, 2017[3]).
Part A: The domestic legal and administrative framework
4. Ireland has legislation in place to implement the BEPS Action 13 minimum standard.
Part B: The exchange of information framework
(a) Exchange of information framework
11. As of 31 March 2020, Ireland has 67 bilateral relationships in place, including those activated under the CbC MCAA, under bilateral CAAs and under the EU Council Directive (2016/881/EU). Within the context of its international exchange of information agreements that allow automatic exchange of information, Ireland has taken steps to have qualifying competent authority agreements in effect with jurisdictions of the Inclusive Framework that meet the confidentiality, consistency and appropriate use conditions.23 Regarding Ireland’s exchange of information framework, no inconsistencies with the terms of reference were identified.
(d) Timeliness of exchanges
14. Ireland reports that some late exchanges have occurred. These were due a technical issue with their exchange mechanism that was not picked up until after status messages were received. This issue is expected to be solved by an upgrade in the system used to connect EU jurisdictions to the CTS but in any case Ireland has brought forward its post exchange review process to ensure that any future issues are picked up and corrected before the exchange deadline. As the issue has been addressed no recommendation is required.
References
OECD (2019), Country-by-Country Reporting – Compilation of Peer Review Reports (Phase 2): Inclusive Framework on BEPS: Action 13, OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/f9bf1157-en. [1]
OECD (2018), Country-by-Country Reporting – Compilation of Peer Review Reports (Phase 1): Inclusive Framework on BEPS: Action 13, OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264300057-en. [2]
OECD (2017), Terms of reference for the conduct of peer review of the Action 13 minimum standard on country-by-country reporting, OECD Publishing, https://www.oecd.org/tax/beps/beps-action-13-on-country-by-country-reporting-peer-review-documents.pdf. [3]
Notes
← 1. Ireland’s 2017/2018 peer review included a monitoring point relating to the conditions under which local filing may be required (paragraph 8 (c) iv. b) of the terms of reference). This monitoring point remains in place.
← 2. No inconsistency with the terms of reference will be identified where a QCAA is not in effect with one or more jurisdictions of the Inclusive Framework that meet the confidentiality, consistency and appropriate use conditions, but this is due to circumstances that are not under the control of the reviewed jurisdiction. This may include, for example, where the other jurisdiction intends to exchange CbC reports using the MCAA but it does not have the Convention in effect for the relevant fiscal period, or where the other jurisdiction has declined to have a QCAA in effect with the reviewed jurisdiction.
← 3. It is also noted that Ireland deposited a Unilateral Declaration on “the effective date for exchanges of information under the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on the exchange of Country-by-Country Reports” with the Depository of the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters to allow for an earlier date of entry into effect of the Convention for jurisdictions that will sign the Convention at a later date.