A strong compliance culture in the Irish tax system was a key message in the Revenue Annual Report 2014. Compliance rates were maintained in 2014 and ranged from 99% to 84%. For Local Property Tax, there was 95% compliance in 2014. Key to this is the work of tax agents and taxpayers and the “strong voluntary compliance culture”. The use of Revenue’s online services; ROS and PAYE anytime, for filing returns and making payments, was greater in 2014 than in 2013.

Revenue carried out 11% more compliance interventions and targeted reviews in 2014 compared to 2013. Over 437,000 compliance interventions yielded over € 610 million. The National Contractors Project continued in 2014. Over 400 audits of contracting companies and a further 300 audits of their directors were concluded in 2014, yielding €10.5 million. Over 80% of the audits conducted on companies and their directors resulted in a tax settlement. Revenue’s focus on the tax issues arising from the incorporation of medical consultants’ businesses has to date yielded nearly €16m from 279 cases. Revenue will continue their focus on this sector in 2015 according to the annual report.

Other points in the Annual Report include:

• The total cumulative yield from the investigation into offshore assets exceeded €1 billion during the year.
• 483 tax avoidance cases, of which 6 involved the general anti-avoidance rule were settled resulting in a yield of €13 million, (including interest and penalties) and the future restriction of losses of €1.6 million.
• At the end of the year, 8,908 taxpayers, covering €104 million in debt, were in a phased arrangement to pay their tax liabilities.
• More taxpayers are using Revenue’s PAYE Anytime service, 989,611 taxpayers are now registered for the service, up 13%.
• Revenue processed 2.33 million items of correspondence and answered 2.3 million calls to their 1890 service.
• 27 criminal convictions obtained for serious tax and duty evasion.

The Revenue Annual Report 2014 is published on the Revenue website.