Japan has developed into a very important location for expanding Irish companies and multinational companies. There is considerable scope to use Ireland as a platform for investing into Japan.
The attractions of using Ireland include:
- Competitive cost base – significant competitiveness improvement
- English speaking
- Young, dynamic and well educated workforce
- Single Financial Services Regulatory Authority
- Common law legal system
- Attractive tax regime
- 0% (regulated investment vehicle)/ 12.5% (trading company)/ 25% (passive/securitisation vehicle) corporation tax rate on profits in Ireland
- Extensive tax treaty network (72 tax treaties signed)
- 37.5% relief for R&D activities – extends to developments in finance
- Attractive intellectual property regime
- No controlled foreign company legislation
- No thin capitalisation rules
- Exemption from corporation tax for certain start-up companies
- Income tax incentives for employees relocating to Ireland
- Exemption from tax on certain dividends. Credit for foreign withholding tax and underlying tax available on other dividends
- Interest withholding tax exemptions
- Dividend withholding tax exemptions
- Gateway to Europe
- Member of the Eurozone