Self-employment ruling ‘must be applied’ to postmasters, says Revenue

Post office on Andrews Street, Dublin. Last year, 10 postmasters approached the department of social protection’s employment status section, Scope, querying their social insurance status and were informed that their work is typical of an employer-employee relationship. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The Revenue Commissioners have acknowledged for the first time that they will have to address the employment status of postmasters in light of a marquee Supreme Court decision regarding bogus self employment.

The tax agency said the status for the postmaster profession will be “updated shortly” to confirm that the tax treatment of postmasters “must be determined in line with the five-step framework as set out in the Karshan case”, which found in that pizza delivery riders were in fact employees rather than self employed.