Victims of the State?

I AM in receipt of a small but, significant, amount of rental income which I must declare to the Revenue Commissioners.

If I failed to do so and was then pursued by the Revenue, would any old age pensioners jump to my defence for this “extra” tax?

I sincerely doubt it. So why are pensioners who failed to declare similar sources of income now being portrayed as helpless victims of a money-grabbing State?