Dunnes tax cut ruling nonsense: ex-official

A FORMER senior tax official has described a decision by the Appeals Commissioners in 1988 that Dunnes Stores was not liable for a tax bill of almost £39 million as “a piece of nonsense”.

Christopher Clayton told the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday that he firmly disagreed with the ruling that the family trust of the supermarket group would have its tax bill cut to zero.

The tribunal is investigating how a potential tax bill of £38.8m for Dunnes Stores was cut to £16m following a meeting between Ben Dunne and the Revenue chairman, Seamus Paircéir in April 1987.