Noonan says no to high tax green diesel
Recommendations made this week by Retail Ireland included equalising taxes for agricultural and motor fuels, in order to control oil laundering. And Carlow-Kilkenny Labour TD Ann Phelan has also called in the Dáil on Finance Minister Michael Noonan to consider using other methods of subsidising agricultural fuels, in the fight against laundering.
Mr Noonan said changing from reduced tax to refunds would require an extensive repayments system, with considerable administrative burden and costs for oil traders, Revenue, and users of agricultural diesel and home heating oil. Such repayment systems are vulnerable to abuse and likely to be exploited by criminal elements, and oil can also be laundered from British fuel, the minister pointed out.
