Multinationals Push for More Tax Breaks in Tight Irish Budget

Multinationals are looking for more R&D tax relief in Ireland’s 2026 budget as the government plans its first tax changes since President Donald Trump’s tariff war threw the country’s foreign investment-heavy economy into uncertainty.

Lobbyists and tax practitioners representing major companies doing business in Ireland are urging the government there to boost tax breaks to offset the country’s adoption of the OECD’s global minimum tax framework and growing competition for foreign investment.

Tax relief for research and development is increasingly important to lure new foreign investment as tariffs and global tax cooperation blunt some of Ireland’s previous competitive advantages, advisers ...