Results 5,941-5,960 of 10,460 for speaker:Gerry Horkan
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: In each year, the Tax Appeals Commission, TAC, has a deficit, which this year is just over 200. Last year it was 200 odd and the year before it was almost 1,100. The backlog is getting worse every year.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: The opening statement makes reference to a doubling of the commission's budget to accommodate recommended staff increases and improvements to ICT equipment. This will be a doubling of staff, as well as the budget.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: Yes, the Senator may.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: I thank Senator Kieran O'Donnell for his very helpful interjection.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: If one was a barrister, it would not be a high enough percentage.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: Would some of the representation be accountants?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: No, my fees are not high enough. This figure may not even be recorded, but would more of the representations be likely to come from the accountants?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: The number of legacy cases has been reduced from 2,700 to 658. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: Therefore, just over 2,000 cases have been dealt with. We discussed how in 2017 some 600 cases had been dealt with and in 2018, 1,400. Is the reduction of 2,000 cases reflected in the number of 1,438 for 2018?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: I am trying to get my head around this issue. If it is the case that 619 were resolved in 2017 and 1,400 in 2018, almost all of the cases that have been resolved are legacy cases and nothing else has been resolved.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: That sounds very efficient and sensible; however, I wonder when the commission reduces the number from five to one, is the figure recorded as five resolutions?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: However, the drop of 1,600 is not reflected in the figure for the number of the closed.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: The figure of 1,100 has been reduced to 658.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: About 500 of the 2,300 resolutions are legacy cases.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: If the number went from 1,150 to 658, has he not closed about 500?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: Perfect. On the costs involved in making an appeal, people must engage accountants, barristers, solicitors and so on. Is there a fee or charge to appeal?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: The commission incurs the costs which are met through the Exchequer.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: Is there a breakdown of companies, individuals and partnerships?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: Equally, we discussed some of the top figures, but I wonder what is the position at the lower end. Are there many sums under €1,000 or €2,000?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Tax Appeals) (Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (30 May 2019)
Gerry Horkan: I am just trying to get my head around the system of tax appeals. I thank the officials for their engagement, but clearly there is an issue, which is the reason they are here. Increases are being provided for in budgets, including for ICT, to try to resolve the issue. I am just trying to get my head around why it is taking so long to get to where we want to go, but it does look as if there...