Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Jul 1993

Vol. 433 No. 5

Written Answers. - Uncollected Tax Disclosures.

Ivan Yates

Question:

42 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Finance the amount of uncollected taxes up to 5 April 1991 that has been disclosed and that is deemed by the Revenue Commissioners as collectable under the following headings, PAYE, PRSI, corporation tax, corporation profits tax, VAT, capital acquisitions tax, capital gains tax, residential property tax and stamp duty.

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that at 31 May 1992, the latest date for which information is available, they estimated that uncollected taxes (including disclosed and estimated liability) up to 5 April 1991 amounted to £2,204 million and that £275 million of this sum is likely to be collected.

The following tabular statement gives a breakdown under individual taxheads:

Tax/Levies	Balance outstanding up to 5 April 1991 as at 31 May 1992	Estimate of amount likely to be collected
	£m	£m
Income tax (Excluding PAYE)	563	45
PAYE/PRSI Underpayments	275	60
PAYE/PRSI Estimates	323	32
Corporation Tax	319	18
Capital Gains Tax	52	6
Capital Acquisitions Tax	2	1.4
Sur Tax, CpT and Wealth Tax	3	0.4
Health Contributions, Levies, etc.	62	3
VAT Underpayments	198.2	57
VAT Estimates S.23	166.5	33
VAT Estimates S.22	238.4	19
Residential Property Tax	1.8	0.15
Balance outstanding	2,203.9	274.95

With regard to stamp duty, prior to 1 November 1991 this was not in general a directly enforceable tax. Collection and enforcement depended exclusively on indirect means, such as the fact that an unstamped instrument could not be registered. Accordingly, there are no general stamp duties up to 5 April 1991 which were disclosed to the Revenue Commissioners and which were collectable.

Companies capital duty is, however, an exception to the general unenforceability of stamp duties prior to 1 November 1991. This is a stamp duty payable on the setting up or an increase in the capital of a limited company and certain other corporate structures. The amount of duty outstanding on assessments made in respect of transactions occurring prior to 5 April 1991 is approximately £1 million.