asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that a number of employees of the Board of Works in Trim, County Meath, have had a big increase in tax deducted from their pay in the past two weeks and that they are now paying £21 to £30 per week tax which is a grave hardship on them; if the deductions will continue until 6th April; and if he will arrange that some of this tax be transferred to the 1976-77 year.
Written Answers. - Meath Workers' Tax Deductions.
35.
The Revenue Commissioners inform me that in assessing nine employees of the Office of Public Works for the year 1975-76 allowances to which the employees had been entitled for earlier years were granted. Due to pressure of work in the office of the inspector of taxes in connection with the proposed application of the PAYE system to the public service there was delay in completing the examination of the return forms lodged by the nine employees concerned, which showed that some of the allowances granted were not due. As a result, there were undercharges to tax amounting to £60 to £64 in individual cases which normally fell to be recovered by the end of the tax year, that is, April 5, 1976, and this resulted in higher weekly tax deductions. The Office of Public Works have now been advised by the Revenue Commissioners to revert to the original amount deductible in each of the nine cases, and to make an appropriate adjustment in respect of the increased deductions already made. The underpayments will be recovered over the year 1976-77 under the PAYE system.