Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Finance the value of refunds on 2008 preliminary tax and losses attributed back to 2007, including 2008, and paid out to date in 2009; the number of such refunds amounting to less than €1 million, between €1 million and €5 million, between €5 million and €10 million, between €10 million and €25 million, and over €25 million; the number of such refunds accruing to businesses or individuals in the banking, hotel, property and construction sectors respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42635/09]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Finance the value of refunds paid to date in 2009 for the 2008 preliminary tax and for losses attributed back to 2007. [42636/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together.

Figures providing a breakdown of refunds of income tax (non-PAYE) and corporation tax and in 2009 to-date are set out in the following tables. Refunds of tax associated with losses are not separately identifiable from refunds made for other reasons.

Income Tax– refunds in 2009 to-date by income tax year

Corporation Tax – refunds in 2009 to-date by reference to accounting periods

Number of tax refunds in 2009 to-date by size of refund

Note: Because of the Revenue Commissioners' obligation to observe confidentiality in relation to the taxation affairs of individual taxpayers, the number of refunds in excess of €25 million has not been provided separately and has instead been included in the range greater than €10 million. This is due to the small numbers of companies with refund amounts exceeding that level.

Number of tax refunds in 2009 to-date by sector

The sector identifier used on the tax records is based on the 4 digit "NACE code (Rev. 1)" which is an internationally recognised economic activity code system. The NACE codes are not essential for the assessment and collection of taxes and duties and the correct allocation and maintenance of these codes is subject to the limit of available resources. NACE code classifications on tax records are compiled by reference to the primary area of economic activity reported by individual and corporate taxpayers on their own behalf and the taxes collected are allocated to those codes without reference to the precise economic activity which generated them.

While the accuracy of the NACE codes on tax records is sufficient to underpin broad sector-based analyses there will undoubtedly be some inaccuracies at individual level. This should be borne in mind when considering the information provided. The sectors identified for this reply represent the closest equivalents in the NACE code system to the sectors mentioned in the question. The figures provided for the estimated yield from each sector are confined to those activities which are defined within the NACE codes associated with the sector headings shown and do not include the yield from activities and businesses identified under other NACE codes which could be related, either in whole or in part, to the sectors listed. An example of these would be architecture, engineering and the manufacture of products used in construction are not included in the heading construction above.