‘I’ve had enough. I’m not paying my taxes.’

A BUSINESSMAN has vowed to stop paying his taxes in protest at the bank bailouts and says he’ll take his chances with Revenue.

Philipp Matuschka, a management consultant and company director, says he is no longer willing to have his taxes pay for the mistakes of an “elite group of idiots” who were in charge of the country’s finances and banking system.

“What happened this week just infuriated me. I have always been a relatively willing taxpayer believing I paid my taxes to support the poor and needy and for infrastructure and security. I am quite happy to pay my taxes on that basis but as of this week I feel I am now paying taxes to support the wrongdoing of others.”

Mr Matuschka, a director of consultancy firm JFDI Services, said he would continue his action until he saw bankers and developers behind bars, the decisions to set up NAMA and recapitalise the banks reversed and the Government resign en masse.

He said he was not convinced by the recent arrests of former Anglo Irish Bank executives Sean FitzPatrick and William McAteer.

“To members of the public it looked like they were invited around for a cup of tea,” he said.

“Once in the 20 years I have run companies I was late in making a payment and 30 seconds later a letter arrived from Revenue reminding me of my duty and threatening to take me to court. It was an administrative error between myself and my book-keeper.

“They will come after the small people while the small people are expected to pay for the mass errors of people who are driven by greed and appear immune to prosecution.”

The 48-year-old father of five from Donard, Co Wicklow, said he would stop taking a salary, paying himself by way of “loans” instead so he wouldn’t pay any income tax or PRSI.

He said he also planned to give his VAT and corporation tax payments to charity and he would pay off the debts he had run up since the first bank guarantee in September 2008 and declare the payments as an offset against any taxes Revenue tried to claim from him.

“I’m serious about this. I’ve had enough. In September 2008 I cut my own salary by 25% and since then I have endured an increased tax burden of €5,000-€10,000 a year and had reduction in benefits through cuts in children’s allowance and deductions for medical expenses. Meanwhile my taxes are being used to support people drinking wine in Marbella.”

Mr Matuschka said he expected the Revenue Commissioners would pursue him but said it would be a grave injustice if he was prosecuted while much more serious wrongdoing went unpunished.

Revenue said it could not comment on individuals but added: “We have a duty to implement the legislation laid down by the Oireachtas and we do so in all cases.”