Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to whether the Revenue Commissioners can provide on-line vehicle registration tax for motor vehicle dealers and on-line form and electronic publishing of tax clearance status; if not, the reason this service is not available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10082/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that an on-line vehicle registration tax system is available since November 2002. Using the Revenue on-line service, ROS, motor dealers can register new vehicles on-line in their own time seven days a week. More than 94% of all new vehicles are registered via ROS.

As regards payment of VRT, motor dealers also arrange payment of the VRT due when registering the new owner of the vehicle in ROS by nominating whether the payment is to be made from their FACT or deferred account. FACT, flexible accounting of cash transactions, accounts are held by Revenue and motor dealers lodge money to these accounts for payment of VRT when due. Deferred accounts are, in effect, guaranteed bank accounts which the motor dealer arranges with their bank to guarantee payment of VRT. Motor dealers can also use ROS to look up their VRT account balances. This secure electronic service is of benefit to the motor dealer, particularly during the peak vehicle registration months at the beginning of each year when they need to ensure that sufficient funds are available in these accounts to pay the tax due. Used vehicles continue to be registered at vehicle registration offices and still require to be examined by Revenue officers. However, since September 2004, there is an on-line vehicle inquiry system where customers can calculate in advance the vehicle registration tax payable on used vehicles being imported into this country. This facility is available to the public and has been very successful with more than 1.1 million inquiries made to-date.

The Revenue Commissioners already provide an on-line application form for applicants for tax clearance certificates on their website, www.revenue.ie, and will shortly launch an on-line verification facility that will enable verification of tax clearance status. The verification system will be available to self-employed and corporate customers of Revenue. Applicants for tax clearance certificates will have the option, in the process of completing their tax clearance application, to make their tax clearance status visible to their customers. Public bodies and others can then view the current tax clearance status on line, with the permission of the applicant, through the use of a tax number and PIN number supplied by Revenue to the applicant. Revenue is finalising the details relating to the implementation of this initiative and will make a formal announcement shortly.