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File photo of Des Richardson, a former Fianna Fáil fundraiser, leaving the Mahon Tribunal in 2007. Richardson appears on the latest tax defaulters' list. Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Revenue reveals €27.7 million in settlements for tax defaulters

The settlements relate to 135 settlements reached in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Updated, 16:16

THE REVENUE COMMISSIONERS has published details of €27.7 million paid in taxes, interest and penalties by 135 tax defaulters.

The details related to settlements made in the final quarter of 2012, where the settlement falls over a minimum threshold.

The highest payment was made by Michael Healy, a plant hire contractor in Aughrim, Co Wicklow, whose settlement amounted to €2.026 million – based on an original tax bill of €694,317.

Triona Harrington, a bookmaker and property owner from Castlecomer in Co Kilkenny, reached a settlement of €1.371 million based on an original tax bill of €801,602.

A Waterford butcher, Thomas Kearney, paid €1.184 million entirely in penalties.

Among those who feature on the list is Ballsbridge-based business consultant Des Richardson, a former Fianna Fáil fundraiser, who reached a settlement for €108,906 based on an original tax liability of €38,251.

A total of 69 settlements worth over €100,000 were reached.

A separate list outlining people who faced criminal conviction for tax offences include one person, Drimnagh company director James Thompson, who was jailed for 14 months after being convicted on seven counts for failure to remit VAT.

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17 Comments
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    Mute Michael O'Reilly
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    Mar 5th 2013, 4:47 PM

    Imagine how much more is out there ! Who the hell do these so called citizens think they are ? PAYE workers they ain’t ! These idiots give the private sector a bad name and this fuels the false divide between public/private that the government loves to foster through its media lackeys in RTE !

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    Mute Catherine lonergan
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    Mar 5th 2013, 5:12 PM

    Couldn’t have been said any better

    35
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    Mute Aisling Brady
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    Mar 5th 2013, 5:37 PM

    Easy for PAYE sector to crow because when they lose a job they can claim unemployment benefits etc.and they never risk any capital on their job but when a person who is self employed, and perhaps employs others, goes bust through no fault of his own gets nothing – no help whatsoever, so why condemn them when they hold back a little on their taxes.

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    Mute Patrick Agnew
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    Mar 5th 2013, 5:48 PM

    The biggest achievement of these last two governments is convincing muppets like you that it’s the PAYE/Public sector fault for everything that’s gone wrong.
    When you start ranting about PAYE sector you play into their hands!!!

    52
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    Mute Patrick Lyons
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:14 PM

    Aisling, you should write to Revenue and explain your case to them. I am sure they will give you a sympathetic ear and they will not laugh too loudly.

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    Mute pg
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:20 PM

    They don’t bother paying there taxs Aisling… And go out of business due to interest and penalties !! Wake up !!

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    Mute censored
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    Mar 6th 2013, 12:40 AM

    One wrong doesn’t justify another.

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    Mute Soul Trader
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:48 PM

    It is very easy to fall into the trap of spending vat and tax when you are waiting months on cheques. It can happen very slowly. For some innocent people it is a case of surviving one month and then not earning as much the next and and then being hit with a huge tax bill from the previous year, having eaten into the tax to pay mortgage and utilities. It’s not always defrauding. It’s not always intent. And the tax/vat is not always spent on holidays and luxury goods. For some without social welfare or redundancy packages it is a temporary solution to survival.

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    Mute censored
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    Mar 6th 2013, 12:39 AM

    It is always defrauding. The only way to protect yourself against this huge mistake is to see it for what it is.

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    Mute Soul Trader
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    Mar 6th 2013, 12:28 PM

    It is not always defrauding. That would mean it is always an intent. For your clarification in many cases the arrears are paid back, albeit slowly. And let’s face it the Revenue do very well on interests and penalties – another crippling problem for the self employed. There is a huge difference between those who have no intention of paying and those who cannot pay it at that time and who keep hoping for things to turn around so they can pay.

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    Mute Mikeconnor
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    Mar 5th 2013, 8:23 PM

    Will Des Richardson be going to jail like the garlic vat evasion man. What’s that you say, oh he has friends in fianna fail!

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    Mute Arbitrasure
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    Mar 5th 2013, 8:51 PM

    Would we have seen Des Richardson on the defaulters list if Fianna Fail were still in power?

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    Mute barry
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    Mar 5th 2013, 7:20 PM

    You have hit the nail on the head there!!

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    Mute Stephen Murphy
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    Mar 5th 2013, 10:22 PM

    The smell of FF, lingers on!

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    Mute Alan Phillips
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    Mar 5th 2013, 10:17 PM

    With ongoing austerity The fact is the local SME sector is on its knees, keeping people in jobs is no easy task, PAYE shouldn’t complain,they receive a special PAYE allowance of 1.6k which self employed are not entitled to, i’m thinking there must be an equality issue with that?

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    Mute Robert Ferguson
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    Mar 6th 2013, 3:24 AM

    Dont buy your beef in waterford,sure to be full of horse to cover tax bill lol

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    Mute Alien8
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    Mar 5th 2013, 11:07 PM

    Surely a regulator has looked at 123.ie’s books? No? Too busy at IBRC these days?

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