Celtic Helicopters named on tax defaulters' list

Celtic Helicopters Limited has paid the Revenue Commissioners a settlement of €689,945 for the underdeclaration of VAT.

Celtic Helicopters Limited has paid the Revenue Commissioners a settlement of €689,945 for the underdeclaration of VAT.

The company was set up by Ciarán Haughey - son of late taoiseach Charles Haughey.

Today's edition of the official Government publication Iris Oifigiuilcontains details of 179 settlements totalling €31.42 million completed between the April 1st, 2006, and June 30th, 2006.

Of the 179 settlements, 67 were for amounts exceeding €100,000, 14 exceeded €500,000, and four exceeded €1,000,000.

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Mr Padraig Drayne, a company director from Donegal, paid Revenue €2,803,295.41 for the underdeclaration of Income Tax & VAT.

The  Jervis St Shopping Centre Ltd, listed by the Revenue as being in voluntary liquidation, paid €1,059,049.43 for the underdeclaration of corporation tax, VAT and PAYE/PRSI.

Bogus Non-Resident holders accounted for 37 settlements totalling €8.32 million.

There was one settlement totalling €0.82 million relating to an Ansbacher account holder, 47 settlements totalling €8.94 million relating to Revenue investigations into offshore funds and 34 settlements totalling €2.36 million relating to Revenue's Single Premium Insurance Product Investigation.

Labour Party finance spokeswoman Joan Burton said the list showed a many people in Irish society are prepared to gamble they will not get caught evading tax.

She referred said this was happening despite the many amnesties made available to tax defaulters and noted that those caught are rarely prosecuted.

"Unless the authorities use the powers available to initiate court prosecutions, the current level of evasion is likely to continue," she said.

Éanna Ó Caollaí

Éanna Ó Caollaí

Iriseoir agus Eagarthóir Gaeilge An Irish Times. Éanna Ó Caollaí is The Irish Times' Irish Language Editor, editor of The Irish Times Student Hub, and Education Supplements editor.