Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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134. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount owing by businesses to the Revenue Commissioners under each tax heading; the age profile of the arrears; and the steps the Revenue Commissioners are taking to engage with businesses currently struggling to meet their tax liabilities. [40666/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by Revenue that it reports on the tax debt as at 31 March each year.

On 31 March 2016 the total outstanding debt amounted to €1.81 billion. However, this figure included €902m of debt under appeal to the Tax Appeals Commission and €87m of insolvency debt.

The remaining amount of €823 million is regarded as a more accurate indicator of the actual debt that was available to Revenue for collection. Of this amount, €335m was under active enforcement and a further €108m was the subject of phased payment arrangements at 31 March 2016. The remaining €380m was at various other stages of the debt collection cycle, for example at 'Demand' stage or 'Negotiation' stage.

The table provides an aged analysis breakdown of the 'Debt Available for Collection' amount due under each tax heading as at 31 March 2016.

Revenue has confirmed to me that it continues to actively encourage viable businesses experiencing cash-flow or payment difficulties to make contact as soon as such problems start to arise to find an agreed way through the difficulties and restore timely tax payment compliance as quickly as possible. The €108m being collected under phased arrangements is a direct result of Revenue's approach in this regard.

Please note that rounding may affect totals

*The negative figure in respect of the 2015 VAT debt is a timing issue caused by the volume of credits (repayments) hitting the system at the point of measurement.  The figure regularises as the repayments are processed.