Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 December 2025
178. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether Ireland supports the establishment of a UN convention on taxation; in particular, how Ireland is supporting the issue of taxing high net worth individuals, and the establishment of a global asset registry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68022/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland continues to take action to ensure the Irish tax code is in line with new and emerging international tax standards as agreed globally. This includes through our work at the OECD and at the UN where Ireland is actively and constructively participating in negotiations on the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.
The United Nations General Assembly has established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to draft a United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation and two early protocols. This work will culminate in a vote of the UN General Assembly in the latter half of 2027. Intersessional meetings are ongoing, on the following three workstreams:
• Framework Convention (Workstream I)
• Early Protocol on the taxation of income derived from the provision of cross-border services in an increasingly digitalised and globalised economy (Workstream II)
• Early Protocol on the prevention and resolution of tax disputes (Workstream III)
The UN INC on International Tax Cooperation held formal plenary meetings in New York in August 2025 and in Nairobi in November 2025. Irish officials participated in these plenary sessions and have been engaging constructively in the process. In between the plenary meetings, Irish officials have taken part in intersessionary virtual meetings and have been providing written feedback to the UN Secretariat and the Co-Leads of the workstreams. The next plenary session will take place in New York in February 2026.
In terms of the specific issues referred to in the question on the taxation of high net worth individuals, tax avoidance and evasion by individuals can undermine the fairness of the taxation system for all. The Government supports efforts to ensure full compliance with domestic tax laws and mechanisms to ensure appropriate transparency standards and exchange of information rules between tax authorities to address challenges in this area. Ireland has one of the most progressive systems of taxes and social transfers of any EU or OECD country.
Developing a global asset registry is an issue that has been raised by civil society organisations as part of the UN tax work. This issue has been recognised as being highly complex and presents technical challenges. Significant technical work would need to be done to examine the feasibility of this proposal further. At present, setting up a global asset registry does not appear to form part of the overall work in developing a United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.
However, we recognise information on beneficial ownership is an important tool in compliance that deserves broad consideration. In recent years there have been international developments on the topic with the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes including beneficial ownership information as part of the exchange of information on request (EOIR) standard.
