Dublin Convention Bureau welcomes the recently enacted Finance Act 2007 which, with effect from 1 July 2007, provides that a business delegate attending a qualifying conference is entitled to reclaim the VAT paid in respect of accommodation costs incurred while attending that conference.

Jean Evans, CEO of Dublin Convention Bureau, commented ’This is a long awaited and much lobbied for development for the meetings industry in Ireland which will undoubtedly enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of Dublin and Ireland as an international meetings destination.”

‘Coinciding as it does with the official launch of the new Convention Centre Dublin and major infrastructural developments at Dublin Airport and within the capital city itself, it all serves to strengthen Dublin’s appeal to meetings organizers and delegates, enabling us to move towards achieving the ambitious tourism targets set by the Business Tourism Forum of €1billion in revenue and 600, 000 business visitors by 2013.’

Ms Evans continued ‘a qualifying conference means a conference or meeting in the course or furtherance of business organized to cater for 50 or more delegates which takes place after 1 July 2007 at a venue designed for the purposes of hosting 50 or more delegates. The procedure for reclaiming this VAT is as follows:

• For businesses registered for VAT in Ireland, it can be included as a deduction in their normal bi-monthly VAT return
• For businesses established in other EU Member States a claim can be made to the Irish VAT authorities under the Eighth VAT Directive (79/1072/EEC)
• For businesses established outside the EU, a claim can be made to the Irish VAT authorities under the Thirteenth VAT Directive (86/560/EEC)’

Ms Evans concluded ‘We eagerly await the information brochure that the Business Tourism Forum is producing in order to communicate the benefits of the new VAT provision to our clients. Dublin Convention Bureau also has an existing partnership with Tax Back International in order to assist companies who don’t have the expertise or resources themselves to maximize their VAT returns, please go to www.irishrefunds.com/dcb for more details.’

For more information, contact:

Jean Evans, Chief Executive Officer

Dublin Convention Bureau

Tel: +353 1 605 7782

Email: jevans@dublinconventionbureau.com

W: www.dublinconventionbureau.com

Or

The Office of the Collector General

Unregistered VAT Repayment Section

River House

Charlotte Quay

Limerick  www.revenue.ie