Revenue inquiries net €100m in three months

Investigations by the office of the Revenue Commissioners have netted more than €100 million in three months, figures released…

Investigations by the office of the Revenue Commissioners have netted more than €100 million in three months, figures released today show.

The quarterly tax defaulters' list shows 173 individuals or companies made settlements with Revenue, totalling €21.61 million in tax, interest and penalties.

A further 2,680 settlements that did not fall to be published yielded €79.11 million.

Tax settlements are not published where the amount is less than €12,700, where the amount of fine or other penalty does not exceed 15 per cent of the amount of tax, or where the taxpayer has, in advance of any Revenue investigation, voluntarily given complete information on the undisclosed tax liabilities.

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The 173 published settlements were as a result of audits where Revenue accepted a sum of more than €12,700 and where a voluntary disclosure was made or the amount of fine or penalty exceeded 15 per cent of the tax.

Of the 173 settlements made, 105 totalling €14.46 million relate to bogus non-resident account holders, one totalling €0.65 million relates to Ansbacher account holders, 13 totalling €2.40 million relate to Revenue investigations into offshore funds and one settlement totalling €0.54 million relates to Revenue's National Irish Bank investigations.

The settlements include those made by Castlefinn, Co Donegal, oil distributor Mr Peter Byrne, who paid €1,273,465 in tax, interest and penalties as part of Revenue's investigation into NIB.

The biggest published settlement was for €1,469,220 by Dr Eugene Hardiman from Roosky in Co Roscommon. The sum was in relation to unpaid income tax and capital gains tax and was discovered during Revenue's investigations into bogus non-resident accounts.

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy is Digital Production Editor of The Irish Times