Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 2: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the length of time it takes a limited company or a partnership company to acquire its tax registration number to allow it to start trading and employ people; his plans to upgrade the system to enable a quicker turnaround from initial application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23183/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that over 95% of applications for registration across all areas of taxation are completed within 5 to 10 working days. In a small number of cases the timescales for processing a registration application will be longer due to the requirement to protect against possible tax loss. Delays can occur when the standard checks give cause for concern in relation to such matters as the compliance history of the principals involved and, for VAT, the existence of a genuine taxable business. The Revenue Commissioners recognise the importance of providing a first-class service to their customers and continually re-assess all registration procedures to ensure that the quickest and most efficient services are available at all times.