Ireland collected slightly more tax than planned in the first half of the year after stabilising its take for the second successive month in June thanks to a further rise in corporate tax receipts, data from the finance department showed.
The state collected 24.9 billion euros in tax in the first six months, 0.7 percent or 168 million euros more than planned, after it had fallen as much as 1.4 percent behind target just two months earlier.
Ireland has consistently beaten its revenue targets in recent years, even as it gradually unwinds tax increases introduced during the financial crisis, due to rapid jobs growth and the benefits of being a location for multinational companies.
That has helped double its corporate tax take over the last six years and receipts have surged further this year to stand 9.1 percent, or 335 million euros, ahead of target at the end of June, one of the three bumper months for corporate returns.
Income tax, the largest tax category, came in 1 percent above target while value-added tax (VAT) fell 1 percent behind profile and excise duty was 7.1 percent or 188 million euros lower than expected.
Expenditure, which has been boosted after years of austerity to meet the demands of the growing economy, was 0.5 percent behind where the government had estimated it to be.
An exchequer deficit of 823 million euros was recorded to the end of June. The finance department forecasts a deficit of 0.2 percent of gross domestic product for the year as a whole.
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