The Finance Bill is being amended so that people who make genuine mistakes in tax returns will not face penalties.

A section of the original Bill amends legislation to copper-fasten the requirement to provide complete tax forms giving details of reliefs, exemptions, credits,allowances and deductions.

A report stage amendment, announced by the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, makes it clear that a surcharge will only apply when it is brought to the taxpayer's attention that the form does not include all the required details "and they nevertheless fail to correct matters without unreasonably delay".

The Bill also contains good news for small firms, with the removal of a previous requirement that research and development expenditure had to exceed €50,000 in any year to qualify for a new tax credit for such expenditure. The report stage amendment means any incremental spending will qualify.

The Minister also announced an amendment to transitional arrangements for the ending of special accelerated capital allowances for hotels, holiday camps and holiday cottages.

The existing proposal was that projects where a full planning application has been received by May 31st, 2003 qualify in relation to expenditure incurred up to July 31st, 2006.

The full planning application deadline has now been extended to December 31st, 2004, with a similar extension in the planning application deadline for the student accommodation scheme from September 30th, 2003 to December 31st, 2004.

As previously reported, the Minister has also withdrawn part of the recently announced stamp duty anti-avoidance provision.