House deposits of €52,500, North-South trade, and reducing your income tax bill

Business Today: the best news, analysis and comment from The Irish Times business desk

The average deposit needed to buy a home is now €52,500 for a first-time buyer, according to a new report. Photograph: iStock
The average deposit needed to buy a home is now €52,500 for a first-time buyer, according to a new report. Photograph: iStock

Theaverage deposit needed to buy a home is now ¤52,500 for a first-time buyer (FTB) and €135,000 for someone who is moving, according to figures from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports.

Will McCreevey, a former star of the television show The Apprentice, which was fronted by motor entrepreneur Bill Cullen, has been made redundant from the successful beauty products business he later founded with a fellow contestant on the show, who has also bought out his stake in the business. Mark Paul has the details.

There is considerable scope for expanding cross-Border trade in services in the wake of Brexit, a report by the Economic and Social Research Institute has concluded, writes Eoin Burke-Kennedy.

The Republic has the greatest level of trust in digital banking in Europe and has recorded one of the fastest adoption rates globally over the past few years, according to a new study. Charlie Taylor examines the findings.

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Want to pay less income tax? In our weekly personal finance feature, Fiona Reddan looks at Europe's best personal tax regimes for such a move.

In Q&A, a reader wonders if giving their dad money as a thank you would leave him with a tax bill. Dominic Coyle offers some guidance.

With Selfridges reportedly on the cusp of a takeover by a Thai group, Cantillon wonders what will become of Irish department store retailers Brown Thomas and Arnotts, who are part of the chain being acquired.

In her media and marketing column, Laura Slattery says funding for live music broadcasts should be restored to help the sector through the latest round of Covid restrictions.

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Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock is Business Editor of The Irish Times