Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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105. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount owed 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. [53764/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, 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 2017 the total outstanding debt was €1,944m. However, this figure included €1,105m of debt under appeal to the Tax Appeals Commission and €83m of insolvency debt. 

The remaining €756m is regarded as a more accurate indicator of the actual debt that was available to Revenue for collection at 31 March 2017. Of this amount, €328m was under active enforcement and €116m was the subject of phased payment arrangements. The remaining €312m 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 at 31 March 2017 for the Deputy’s information. 

Revenue also 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 €116m being collected under phased payment arrangements at 31 March 2017 related to more than 12,000 individual taxpayers and businesses and is a clear confirmation of Revenue’s commitment in this regard.

Age Analysis of Debt Available for Collection by Year of Assessment as at 31/03/2017 Total €M

Please note that rounding may affect totals.

*The negative figure in respect of the 2016 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.