David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 30:

In page 266, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following:"(d) a certificate of tax compliance,".

This issue was discussed on Second and Committee Stages. We feel it is important that companies operating in these areas are tax compliant and the amendment provides that companies making an annual return must also provide a certificate of tax compliance as part of the process. This is to ensure no company can continue to be registered if it is not fully tax compliant. On Committee Stage the Minister stated it might be difficult to synchronise the annual returns with tax returns and I have sympathy with this, but there is no reason why the most recent tax certificate, perhaps for the previous year, would not suffice. It would be good practice and would give confidence to all elements in the chain of supply if people had a tax certificate. A number of examples were given to us of contractors using subcontractors who were not tax compliant for many years, built up an exposure and eventually went out of business. It would add value to the Bill and I ask the Minister of State to consider the issue.