PAC to assess Revenue accounts for 2015

The agenda for the meeting is:

1.    Business of the Committee; and
2.    2014 Appropriation Accounts Vote 9
       2015 Appropriation Accounts Vote 9
       2015 C&AG Report
       Chapter 12: Tackling Fuel Laundering
       Chapter 15: Taxpayer Compliance
       Revenue Account 2015

Deputy Fleming said: “Officials from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners will appear before the Committee tomorrow as we examine the Revenue Account for 2015 which presents the collection and allocation of taxes and duties by Revenue and the transfer of the proceeds to the exchequer.

“In terms of taxpayer compliance, the Revenue’s random audit programme has consistently shown over the period 2008 to 2015 that at least one third of the taxpayers audited had under-paid their tax. The audit gap measures revenue losses in a tax year as a result of non-compliance by individuals and businesses that are registered with Revenue. The C&AG analysed the most recent data available. The outcome of Revenue's random audits in 2014 indicates that the audit gap was around 2% of the total liability. Revenue itself does not produce estimates of the audit gap. This would be useful to allow Revenue to better assess and report on its effectiveness in managing taxpayer compliance and it is a matter we will follow up with Revenue tomorrow.

“In relation to tackling fuel laundering, there is no Revenue estimate of the loss to the Exchequer as a result of fuel laundering. Producing estimates of the tax gap on a consistent basis, and tracking it over time, would assist Revenue in quantifying the level of non-compliance and understanding the reasons for losses in the tax system as a result of fuel laundering. It would also assist Revenue in measuring its performance as it would show the impact its initiatives are having on the illicit diesel market in Ireland. We will be keen to pursue this issue with Revenue.”

The meeting with Revenue will start in Committee Room 3 at 9am, tomorrow, Thursday, 13 October 2016. Committee proceedings can be followed here.

At 2.30 in the afternoon, the PAC will continue its hearings on Project Eagle when it hears from Brian Rowntree, former member of NAMA’s Northern Ireland Advisory Committee

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.