asked the Minister for Labour the number of (a) self-employed and (b) farmers from whom payments of the youth employment levy were outstanding at 31 December 1982 who have paid in the intervening period.
22.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Youth Employment Levy.
21.
asked the Minister for Labour the amount of money outstanding from (a) farmers and (b) self-employed in respect of the youth employment levy at 31 December 1982 which has been collected in the intervening period; and the measures he proposes to take to ensure that the balance is collected.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 22 together.
It is understood from the Collector General's Office that the number of self-employed who have paid the youth employment levy and the total amount paid since 31 December 1982 to end September, 1983 are as follows:—
|
Number |
Amount |
|
|
Self-employed |
34,929 |
£2,907,459 |
As regards farmers, the legal and administrative obstacles impeding the collection of the levy from them to date have now been removed and arrangements are being made to secure payment of the levy by farmers.
Could the Minister indicate what portion does the 34,000 represent of the total number of self-employed liable for the levy? Could he also indicate what number of farmers are liable for the levy? I take it that no levy has to date been collected from farmers. On what date does he expect this money to be collected?
I am not particularly good at mental arithmetic, but the total number of self-employed liable is 106,500 so the proportion would be 34,000 divided into 106,500. The number of farmers who are liable is 104,000.
As regards the question of the collection of the levy from farmers, the Deputy is aware that there were administrative problems and, more specifically, legal problems. Those have now been overcome and the collection process in relation to farmers is now in hand.
In relation to the 70,000-odd self-employed who have not yet paid the levy, have they received demand notices and at what point do the notices expire? What action do the Revenue Commissioners propose to take to gather that levy?
Demand notices were issues to the self-employed in February 1983 and July 1983 in respect of the 1982-83 tax year. A demand notice will be issued in the very near future — and I am here talking about days — in respect of the 1983-84 tax year.