Dual-income couple

Paul and Catherine are both 37 and returned to Ireland four years ago. They live in Meath with their two daughters, aged three and six. Paul works in a manufacturing company. His salary is £35,000, he drives a company car and pays £200 a month in additional voluntary contributions. Catherine works part time in a recruitment firm and earns £13,000. The children attend a creche part-time, costing £500 a month. They were disappointed not to see tax relief for childcare expenses. They are glad to see a cut in both rates of tax and the widening of the tax bands. They will benefit from individualisation, seeing deductions as a percentage of salary fall by more than 5 per cent.