Settlements of nearly €13m made with Revenue for failing to declare tax

Leading Irish composer and musician among those to settle during third quarter

Medical consultants, builders, a leading Irish composer and a member of one of Ireland’s best-known families are among those to have made settlements amounting to more than €12 million with Revenue for the underdeclaration of income tax during the third quarter.

O’Keefe Developments Limited, a Co Armagh-based property developer which is now in liquidation, made the biggest settlement of €895,931 in the period for underdeclaring VAT owed.

It was one of eight cases in which sums of more than €500,000 were received by Revenue from individuals and companies.

Michael Geary, a medical consultant with an address at Torquay Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18, made the second biggest settlement of €894,470, for underdeclaring income tax liabilities.

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In the three months to the end of September, 64 taxpayers reached settlements totalling €12.74 million. Of the published cases, 32 were for amounts exceeding €100,000.

Celtic Woman

The ongoing offshore assets investigation yielded over €630,000 in three cases.

Emmy-nominated Irish composer and musician David Downes, who is best known for being the cofounder and musical director of Celtic Woman which he developed after working on Riverdance, agreed an €82,457 settlement after underdeclaring income tax and VAT.

Mr Downes, with an address in Rathmines, Dublin 6, filed a petition to wind up Celtic Woman Limited late last year.

Fern Allen, youngest daughter of Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School and Guesthouse, and her husband Eoin Little, who describe themselves as property lessors, agreed a €135,534 settlement after a Revenue audit.

The vast majority of the casess in the published list of settlements ofr the third quarter arose from audits by the tax authorities.

A total of 1,401 Revenue audit and investigations together with 23,616 risk management interventions raised €100.3 million for the State in the three-month period.

Other big cases settled include a €733,639 agreement with E L McGettigan and Sons Limited, a Kilmacrennan, Co Donegal-based property developer and investor, which is now in liquidation.

Highball Limited, a dissolved property developer with an address at Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, made a settlement of €669,315 for underdeclaring VAT. Swanard Properties Limited, a Churchtown, Dublin 14-based electrical contractors, which is now in liquidation, made a €603,954 settlement.

Separately, Crossan Hennessy Newsagents of Naas Road, Dublin 12, agreed a €507,936 settlement with Revenue.

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor is a former Irish Times business journalist