Ireland—Home to top global multinational companies

Article Excerpt

The roster of top global companies headquartered in Ireland is impressive. Top of the list are medical equipment manufacturer, Medtronic, followed by IT consulting firm, Accenture. Other large companies include industrial gas company Linde, pharmaceutical company Allergan, and credit scoring company Experian. Others, such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Gilead, Pfizer, and Facebook, have also established operations in Ireland. There are multiple reasons why these top companies prefer to have their headquarters in Ireland, of which a favourable tax regime is a primary one. Corporations can expect to be taxed at only 12.5% and can also take advantage of a 25% tax credit against research and development costs. In addition, Ireland is a member of the European Union, which, with its 332 million citizens, is one of the largest and most affluent economies in the world. EU membership provides Irish companies duty-free access to this valuable market. Ireland also has the youngest population in Europe with an average age of 34.4…