DUBLIN: Tax measures expected to form the cornerstone of next week’s budget are likely to drive house prices higher and leave the country vulnerable to another economic downturn, analysts have warned.
A tax rebate on new homes for first-time buyers worth up to €20,000 and a cut in universal social charge rates are two of the core measures expected to be announced by Michael Noonan as part of a €1.2 billion stimulus package on Tuesday.
Conall Mac Coille, chief economist at Davy Stockbrokers, said that moves to chip away at the widely unpopular USC would be ill-advised given the still fragile
