A WELL-KNOWN Dublin public relations company and the director of a bust waste firm were among the most prominent inclusions on the latest tax defaulters list.

Bellane Ltd, the company behind Dublin-based PR firm Insights Consultants, was handed a bill of over €50,000 for under-declaring of corporation tax and PAYE/PRSI.

That’s according to the latest Revenue list of tax defaulters covering the first three months of 2017.

Insights announced in 2015 that it planned to merge with O’Herlihy Communications, the public relations firm founded by the late RTÉ broadcaster Bill O’Herlihy.

The former firm came to the public’s attention after becoming embroiled in the controversy surrounding charity group Rehab, which hit headlines in 2014 when its CEO Angela Kerins refused to disclose her salary.

The company had worked with the charity since 2006, however it parted ways with Rehab following the media storm.

Biggest settlement

The largest settlement was made by Anthony Dean, with an address in Milltown Bridge in Dublin 14, who was ordered to pay almost €2.4 million in taxes, interest and penalties due to the under-declaration of income tax.

The case followed an offshore funds investigation by the tax authority. Dean was the director of a waste firm called Dean Waste Company, which has gone out of business.

In 2015 the Environmental Protection Agency secured a €2.6 million judgement against the company and a firm called Jenzsoph Ltd following the pollution of a landfill site in Kildare.

Revenue has previously emphasised that it is looking to crack down on Irish citizens who are trying to skirt the law by holding money or assets offshore.

Last year the organisation clawed back just under €8 million from offshore accounts, a number roughly in line with the amount recovered in 2015.

Revenue previously said that tax defaulters using offshore facilities will face penalties of up to 100% of the tax evaded, publication in the list of tax defaulters and potentially criminal prosecution.

Notable agreements

Some other notable inclusions on the defaulters list are:

• Petrol station operators McGee Service Station and Oil Distribution, with an address in Moate Road, Kilbeggan, Westmeath, which made a near €900,000 settlement in relation to the under-declaration of VAT and PAYE/PRSI
• Business and management consultants Searing Insights with an address in the Frankfort building, Dundrum Road, Dublin, which made a €584,271 settlement in relation to the under-declaration of corporate tax, income tax, VAT and PAYE/PRSI
• Vehicle dealers Tom Moran & Son Car Sales with an address in Bannow Moor in Wexford, which made a settlement of just over €600,000 in relation to the under-declaration of VAT.

In total, Revenue agreed settlements of €14.4 million during the first three months of the year relating to 86 cases.

Sign up to our newsletter to receive a regular digest of Fora’s top articles delivered to your inbox.

Written by Paul O’Donoghue and posted on Fora.ie