Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 524: To ask the Minister for Finance if all interviews between officials of the Revenue Commissioners and taxpayers, accountants and auditors will be tape recorded in future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1178/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that there are no plans to tape record interviews between their officials and taxpayers and accountants.

Taxpayers' rights are safeguarded in a number of ways. Revenue auditors operate within the framework of Revenue's Customer Service Charter. The Customer Service Charter sets out the fundamental elements of the service that taxpayers are entitled to and what Revenue expects of taxpayers. In addition Revenue Auditors carry out audits within the framework of the Code of Practice for Revenue Auditors and the Operations Manual for Outdoor Powers. The three documents are available at www.revenue.ie.

There would be no additional benefit to the citizen or the State in incurring the significant expense of formally recording interviews between taxpayers, accountants and Revenue Auditors. Detailed contemporaneous notes of audit interviews are kept. Access to these notes may be obtained under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.