Ebay’s Irish arm pays out €25m dividend as pre-tax profits rise 22%

Ebay’s main Irish subsidiary paid out a €25 million dividend to its parent last year after a sharp rise in profits.

Pretax profits at Ebay Europe Limited increased 22 per cent during the year, jumping from €5.1 million to €6.3 million. Revenues fell over the 12 months, declining from €80.9 million to €79.7 million.

The unit provides customer support and administrative services for the ‘Marketplaces’ business segment of the group.

Operating costs fell by €2.45 million over the year, which was largely due a drop in the number of customer support staff. Overall, the average number of employees decreased from 980 to 932. Staff costs, including wages and salaries, totalled €60.4 million versus €61.2 million a year earlier.