Exchequer returns for the month of October show tax revenues were €219m ahead of target.
The better-than-expected figure for the month means for the year to date the tax take has now caught up with Department of Finance forecasts.
In recent months the tax take, while still ahead of last year's figures, has still been persistently behind Department of Finance forecasts. A stronger performance in October, though, means the tax collected for the first nine months of the year is now bang in line with expectations.
Just under €39 billion in tax has flowed into the exchequer between January and October. That's €2.28 billion, or 6.2%, higher than in the same period last year. While VAT receipts and Income tax are still slightly behind profile, Corporation Tax receipts are considerably ahead of the forecasts. At the end of October Corporation Tax receipts were €5.4 billion for the year-to-date, 13.5% higher year-on-year and 4.1% ahead of target.
The Exchequer receipts also reflect a one-off gain from the disposal of part of the state's stake in AIB. The exchequer recorded a surplus of €326m at the end of October. That compares to a deficit of €2.4 billion at the same point in 2016.
