Tax evaders still offending years after detection

TAX evaders were still non-compliant years after they were first detected because of the Revenue Commissioners’ failure to carry out a re-audit programme, a Dáil committee heard yesterday.

Comptroller and Auditor General John Buckley said tax officials faced difficulties in assessing compliance levels and the rate of repeated offenders since re-audit programmes were cancelled back in 2002.

In a recent report, the comptroller& noted that there was a risk that taxpayers with a history of non-compliance would not change their behaviour and continue to under-declare income in the future.