Taoiseach’s department makes €25,000 tax settlement over taxis

The Department of the Taoiseach has paid nearly €25,000 to the Revenue Commissioners as part of a voluntary settlement.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil that in March this year following a review by his department, "an unprompted voluntary disclosure was made to the Revenue Commissioners which included a liability for benefit in kind in relation to use of taxis to and from home of €24, 506, including penalties and interest".

"This reflected a long-standing practice where staff are sometimes required to work outside normal office hours in order to carry out their official duties, in most cases due to Oireachtas sittings. Revenue guidelines require that benefit in kind is due on the costs of taxis from home to headquarters and vice versa. My Department has put in place revised arrangements to ensure compliance with Revenue Guidelines in respect of benefit in kind on taxi journeys to and from home."

The Taoiseach provided the information in a written reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Niall Collins of Fianna Fáil.

Mr Kenny said that last year his department paid out €46,802 in subsistence payments to staff and €28,609 in taxi costs.

He noted that this included the period of the EU presidency.

So far this year the Department of the Taoiseach spent just over €9,000 on taxis and €19,325 on subsistence costs.

The disclosure of the voluntary payment by the Department of the Taoiseach comes just a week after it emerged that the Houses of the Oireachtas, which employs staff in Leinster House, had agreed a settlement with the Revenue Commissioners for €333,412.

The settlement relates to under-declaration of Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes in relation to staff. It is understood that this related largely to staff use of taxis, meal allowances and other issues.