Lower income households lost out more in Budget 2019, ESRI finds

The ESRI says the decision to leave both personal and employee tax credits unchanged amounts to an effective tax increase for many workers, as it warns on corporation and carbon taxes

ESRI assesses impact of Budget 2019. Pic: RollingNews.ie

Measures in Budget 2019 will reduce households’ income by 0.7 per cent, with those on lower incomes hit by slightly larger losses, according to an analysis by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

The think-tank compared the tax changes announced in October’s budget with a ‘neutral’ benchmark where tax credits, thresholds and benefit payments rose in line with the expected rate of wage growth in the economy.

The main tax measures included ...