Taxpayers face €5bn bill over excise duty fraud on cigarettes and alcohol

TAXPAYERS are being forced to make up for at least €5 billion lost through excise duty fraud on cigarettes and alcohol, according to the EU.

The Irish share of this is unknown, but the Revenue seized cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol and oil on which more than €23 million was due in excise duty in 2002.

New regulations to help clamp down further on this kind of fraud are being proposed by the European Commission and the details were released yesterday in Brussels.