Ireland Low Tax Rate

Ireland economic success was built on a policy of charging corporations only 12.5 percent in income tax, one of the lowest corporate rates in Europe. That rate, which compares with 28 percent or higher in Britain, France, Germany, and the U.S., has lured multinationals to set up manufacturing, research, and service centers in Ireland over the last 20 years.

Companies such as HP, Google, Bank of America, Microsoft have set up their european headquarters in Ireland employing thousands of employees and making exports that total in billions.