Clare Firms Urged To Consider Enterprise Schemes

I am encouraging businesses across Clare to check if they could benefit from any of the numerous Government schemes aimed at helping businesses to start-up, expand or create new jobs. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, this week launched a new information leaflet for businesses, outlining the 15 different schemes on offer to help businesses to grow and create jobs. Click Here to see that document. Senator Mulcahy, who also operates his own business in County Clare, noted that there is a wide range of supports and schemes available to the small and medium business sector, but that many firms remain unaware of most of them. He explained: “Every business in Clare should check out the supports on offer. For example, if you are starting your own business, under the Seed Capital Scheme you can claim back up to €100,000 in income tax paid and invest it into a company subscribed as shares. Certain start-ups can also avail of a three year exemption from corporation tax, while the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance allows social welfare payments to be retained if an unemployed person starts up their own business. “The Government has introduced a range of measures to make it easier and more attractive for employers to take on more workers. These include the Revenue Job Assist, which encourages employers to give jobs to those on the live register and the Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme, under which employers can take on someone who has been unemployed for 6 months and pay no PRSI for 18 months. “Access to credit is frequently mentioned as the single biggest obstacle facing businesses. The Government fully recognises this, and through the Micro-Finance Fund and the Credit Guarantee Scheme, loans are being made available to new start-ups and existing SMEs. “For those looking to expand their business, a number of incentives and tax relief schemes are available to make investment easier. The Employment Investment and Incentive Scheme provides tax relief for investment in certain corporate trades, the R&D tax credit allows companies to offset some of their corporate tax liability and €5,000 innovation vouchers are available to help entrepreneurs explore a business opportunity,” Senator Mulcahy concluded. A full list of supports is available from www.entemp.ie.