Renua candidate in call for fair play for self employed

Renua Ireland said it would end the ‘discrimination’ against the self-employed.

Nicola Daveron, the party’s candidate in Galway West, said job and wealth creators should be valued and assisted.

The Galway-based solicitor said: “Those who work hard, generate economic growth and employ others should not be penalised for doing so. Irish business owners who take risks and create employment for others are taxed more heavily than the public sector and PAYE workers.

“In Ireland, the self-employed, entrepreneurs and SME owners have: no personal tax allowance, no PRSI benefits and no social safety net. We need to overhaul the tax and social welfare discrimination against the self-employed. ”

Renua proposes abolishing the higher rate of USC for the self employed; introducing the same tax credit that all other taxpayers have for the self-employed and directors or small-firm owners; and allow the self-employed and business owners to opt into PRSI to avail of supports, should a business fail.

Ms Daveron added: “Our economy is too reliant on foreign direct investment as its sole source of growth, while the high street is struggling to survive.

“This discrimination against the self-employed sends the strongly negative message to business owners and those considering the step into entrepreneurship that Ireland is anything but the best small country in the world in which to do business,” she added.