Tag Archive for: Disclosure

With the Tax deadlines having just passed, taxation has been a hot topic of conversation in recent weeks, we have spoken in the past about the ways in which there will be an increased clamp down on tax evasion and this week, Revenue have confirmed that there is an inquiry underway to identify tax payers engaged in offshore tax evasion and avoidance. Recent leaks in the celebrity world have brought issues such as these to the forefront of public consciousness and now we are seeing this become a higher priority for Revenue themselves.

Changes made in the Finance Act 2016 means that now any tax payers engaged in offshore activities may face larger penalties and even prosecution for defaulting. The deadline for coming forward with declarations on offshore tax liabilities was May 5^th 2017, and despite receiving over 2700 disclosures, it is thought that there may be many others.

As we have discussed previously, Revenue are embracing technological advances in order to tackle tax evasion and will be employing a system of data analytics to combat this offshore issue. According to Daniel Sinnot, Head of Revenue’s Research

“Data analytics is an integral element of Revenue decision making, and it works by having a ‘whole of taxpayer’ view. We use proprietary software to match the data that we receive from other tax administrations to Revenue’s taxpayer records, then cross-check against prior returns to ensure all relevant income and assets have been declared. We also feed the data into our social network analysis and anomaly detection tools, to highlight suspicious cases. Then, as we begin to carry out risk based compliance interventions, we use the results of our interventions to train machine-learning models that further refine our ability to recognise and target the riskiest cases.”  

Mr. Rigney also stated that Revenue study and examine the information published in the wider media, including all allegations within the so-called “Paradise Papers”. The disclosures already made have revealed that over half were related to British-based liabilities with others referring to the UK, France, Spain and Switzerland. Revenue have revealed that almost a third of the disclosures related to property, with 20% relating to shares.

It is clear that tax evasion remains a top priority for Revenue and as always we recommend early and efficient filing before deadlines to avoid any penalties or issues that may delay processing. Revenue have stated that they will continue to keep this as a priority and will investigate further as more information emerges.

Should you have any queries relating to any business or financial matters, please don’t hesitate to contact us here at EcovisDCA where we are always happy to help you and your business.