THE GOVERNMENT is considering taxing maternity benefit in December’s budget, the Sunday Business Post reports. It says that the Revenue Commissioners has been asked to draw up a model for how such a tax could work. With some 23,000 women receiving maternity benefit at any one time, the tax could raise up to €90 million for the exchequer, the article states. Taxing maternity benefits would cut the net cost to the exchequer by recouping a portion of the payment via the tax system. Elsewhere, the paper reports on the tax strategy group report drawn up for last year’s budget and published last week by the Department of Finance. It suggests increasing PRSI for middle-to-high earners.
IRISH SOFTWARE company Openet, Niall Norton Joe Hogan, of Openet (right),has won a legal battle in America against an Israeli company, which may pave the way for the floatation of the company, the Sunday Business Post reports. Israeli firm Amdocs brought a patent case against the Irish company two years ago. The court found that Openet’s software did not infringe Amdocs patents, though the full judgment will not be published for several weeks. Amdocs can appeal. Openet which had revenues of €90 million last year, provides billing software to telcoms and cable companies, and is considering a Nasdaq listing.
A LEGAL battle will begin in the High Court this week between members of the Ward and Anderson families, the co-owners of the Ward Anderson cinema empire, the Sunday Business Post reports.
Paul Ward, the son of one of the founders, Leo Ward, will ask the High Court to permit him to take action against Dublin Cinema Group, which owns the Savoy Cinema, and is run by his cousin, Paul Anderson, according to the article.
In turn, Mr Anderson is set to petition the courts to wind up the company and appoint a liquidator to distribute the assets. Negotiations between Ward and Anderson about an amicable break-up of the company have been ongoing for months.
Combined, the two sides own 25 cinemas and 140 screens in the Republic, the paper reports.
