USC cut will help... but my pay is down and why no relief on rent?

RAHUL Kapoor is a specialist in acute medicine who is forced to move house regularly for work.

‘ Since the Haddington Road Agreement, I earn less as a registrar – which is one level below consultant – than I did when I was a junior doctor,’ he reveals.

‘And I know consultants also earn about 2.5 per cent less than they were making in the past, so for someone like me, a reduction in USC means having to pay 5.5 per cent instead of 7 per cent tax which will be very welcome – basically I am happy to keep a little bit more money in my pocket each month rather than paying tax with it.’

Dr Kapoor is currently single and doesn’t have any children but as the nature of his job involves differing placements, he is forced to live in rented accommodation and says he is disappointed that there was no mention of tax relief for tenants in Mr Noonan’s speech yesterday.

‘Most doctors at my stage have to work in various hospitals so would usually rent a house or apartment’, he says. ‘I am currently renting an apartment with another person and as the HSE does not provide NCHD’s (Non Consultant Hospital Doctors) with a live-out allowance, a tax relief would be very beneficial. Although I believe this would only be paid to people who started working here before 2010, so I probably wouldn’t be eligible for it anyway as I have only been working in Ireland for three years since gradu- ating in the Czech Republic in 2012.’

As a first year medical registrar, Dr Kapoor’s annual salary is €50,578 (pre-tax) and monthly outgoings including rent, food and utilities set him back a further €950 per month. On top of this he spends around €100 on motor costs and a further €150 on courses and tuition required for his job.

But he feels Budget 2016 is a ‘step in the right direction’ and is hopeful for the future. ‘While most of us are naive about the Budget and what it really means, I was very glad that there were no further cuts or restrictions made within the health sector’, he says. ‘Overall I would say that the Budget seems to be positive but also slightly cautious at the same time’.

‘It’s a step in the right direction’