In our annual post-Budget exercise, today we take an in-depth look at some of the typical individuals and couples featured in our Budget 2000 supplement published the other day.

Gerard and Sarah, in their late 20s, were the emigrants who returned to Ireland this year after living in the US since 1995. "While Gerard has been working in a bank, Sarah plans to resume work in an accounting firm, after having their first child a year ago . . . Gerard earns £25,000, while Sarah expects to earn £30,000 when she returns to work."

When I visited Gerard and Sarah in their pleasant but rather ordinary rented home in Sandyford, I thought I detected a certain frostiness in the air. I came straight to the point: did Gerard, I asked, have a problem with the prospect of his wife earning more than him on her return to work?

"I don't',' Gerard told me, "but Sarah may have." Sarah laughed rather shortly. "Actually, I just feel that Gerard might earn a little more, full stop."

Gerard left the room rather pointedly at this stage, while Sarah explained that against her wishes, he had insisted on leaving a high-paid and high-powered job in Minneapolis to come home to "a simple life" in the old country. "It turns out," said Sarah, "that life in the old country is very simple indeed on a net family income of £20,564. And as for buying a house in Dublin - "

But had they not owned and sold a house in Minneapolis? "Oh yes", said Sarah, "and we discovered that the profit we made was almost enough to pay a deposit on the remains of a small cowshed in Leitrim village. A delightful home for our new baby, I don't think."

Sarah then rather haughtily mentioned the "low-income" couple featured in the Irish Times - "Sean and Irene, whom we actually used to know once, have one low-quality job between them - a junior health board post, for God's sake - and take home only a couple of thousand less than Gerard and I. It's a disgrace - and they own their own house, even if it is in Westmeath."

In a misguided attempt to cheer Sarah up, I mentioned the financial situation of Marguerite, the single parent featured in the Budget coverage. To my huge embarrassment, it turned out that the father of Marguerite's four-year-old son Stephen was none other than Gerard, "Why do you think he went off to Minneapolis in such a hurry?" asked Sarah, rather sarcastically.

Sarah thought that Marguerite had "some nerve" to complain that the Budget had not dealt properly with the costs related to childcare. "This woman is going to have to pay only the standard rate of income tax. She'll be taking home only about £3,000 less than Gerard and I. And while Gerard denies it, I'm sure he's throwing her an extra few hundred pounds every now and again for that brat of hers. Nothing has shown up on his credit card bills so far - I've checked - but I don't think it's all going on his 40-fags-a-day habit, which by the way is disgusting."

With some relief I slipped away to visit Richard and Anne, the professional couple in their mid-50s. As The Irish Times put it, "Their two children are grown up with families of their own and they enjoy a comfortable lifestyle."

They certainly do, even though their gross income of £87,600 (including benefits in kind) is cut to less than £50,000 after tax: their house in Carrickmines is enormous, and I could see a tennis court taking shape in the grounds.

I had read that Richard and Anne were pleased at the abolition of travel tax, since they regularly visit their daughter and grandchildren in London. "Never mind London", Richard laughed, "it's the trips to the Channel Islands, Lichenstein and the Cayman Islands that are more interesting."

Richard poured me a generous whiskey as he revealed some of the ingenious accounting methods he and his fellow directors adopted to maximise take-home pay. Indeed it was hard not to be impressed, as the bottom line showed that Richard's gross official income was actually exceeded by his net unofficial income.

Anne excused herself to get ready for a party, and before I left, I mentioned to Richard that I was going on to visit Marguerite, the single parent. And what a small world it is: it turned out that Richard was a close friend of Marguerite, having been briefly one of her lecturers on her part-time legal affairs course.

"Give her my regards," he whispered, nudging me oddly, "congratulate her on the widening of her income tax rate band, and tell her I'm still keeping an eye on her total credits (standard rated) - our little joke."