GAA star and wife fined €6k for tax offences

FINES totalling €6,250 were imposed on a Meath footballer and his wife for failing to return statements of their financial affairs to the Revenue Commissioners.

Graham Geraghty, aged 38, and his wife Amanda, both of Higginstown, Athboy, committed the offences on dates in April and June 2010. They are contrary to the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.

Kevin Martin, the solicitor for the couple, told Kells District Court yesterday that the returns had been filed on Thursday but that there had been a delay in doing this.

He said that pleas of guilty were being made to the summonses and asked Judge Patrick McMahon to deal with the case.

Mr Martin said that while both spouses had been summonsed, “one statement of affairs would elicit enough information” for both.

The two summonses for Ms Geraghty relate to the years 2004 and 2008 while her husband, a two-time All-Ireland winner and a Fine Gael candidate in the 2007 general election, had three summonses, one each for 2004, 2008 and 2000.

State solicitor William O’Reilly said the maximum penalty was €5,000 on each summons but that this could be mitigated.

The judge said he would be mitigating the fines and Mr O’Reilly said he would like Declan Rigney from the Revenue Commissioners to give evidence in relation to mitigation. Mr Rigney is principal officer with the Revenue in Meath.

However, Judge McMahon then said he was mitigating the penalties on all summonses to €1,250.

In total, Mr Geraghty was fined €3,750 and his wife €2,500.

They have six months to pay the fines.