Gilson on Revenue's list of tax defaulters

MODEL GLENDA Gilson and Padraig O’Shea, the manager of St Joseph’s College in Tipperary, are among the individuals named on the latest tax defaulters list published by the Revenue.

The list, which covered the three months to the end of June, included 106 settlements with a total value of €19.80 million. The figures include tax due, interest and penalties. Of the 106 cases, six settlements totalling €1.95 million relate to offshore funds.

Mr O’Shea of Borrisoleigh, Thurles, Co Tipperary, made a settlement of over €705,000 with the Revenue Commissioners arising from the underdeclaration of income tax, according to the latest list of tax defaulters published yesterday.

Mr O’Shea’s profession is listed as a private school operator. He is the manager and former principal of Borrisoleigh school, a privately owned, non-fee paying school in Co Tipperary.

Glenda Gilson, with an address at College Gate, Castleknock, settled a tax bill of €73,000 with Revenue in relation to the underdeclaration of income tax and VAT returns. The model, who is also a television presenter, appeared in court last year in relation to the collapse of a car sales company of which she was a director.

Bloodstock agent Hugo Merry was also named on the list. He made a settlement of €84,500 with the Revenue.

Other individuals include John Hall, a “retired money lender” from Crumlin who was faced with a tax bill of €720,000 for under-declaration of income tax and offshore assets. Of the 106 published cases, 43 were for amounts exceeding €100,000, of which 11 were for more than €500,000.

Three of the settlements exceeded a million euro.

These were a €1.16 million settlement by Cork businessman Barry McDonald, who was jailed earlier this year for non-payment of tax; a €1.2 million payment by De Gee Limited, of Northbrook Road, Dublin 6, a holding company for a number of clothes shops; and a €1.2 million settlement by retired company director David Delahunty of Palmerstown Gardens, Rathmines, who was a director of De Gee Limited.

Others who were fined for not filing income tax returns included Fr Martin Boyle, a psychotherapist from Rathfarnham, who owed a total of just over €73,000.

Former journalist Tom McEnaney made a settlement of €51,362.19. Mr McEnaney said this related to a former business venture called Newmac Equity Ltd, which he co-founded with businesswoman Sarah Newman in 2008.

Mr McEnaney said his PAYE, PRSI and other taxes were deducted at source by the company but not paid to the Revenue. He only became aware of this when audited, after which Revenue decided that he was liable for the payments as a shareholder of the company.

Seven individuals were fined for fraudulently claiming medical expenses, while 19 people were fined for illegally selling cigarettes and 11 for cigarette smuggling, including two individuals who received short custodial sentences.

Not all tax settlements are published in the quarterly list. According to the Revenue, where a taxpayer has voluntarily furnished information to the tax authorities in advance of the inquiry relating to undisclosed tax liabilities, and paid the tax and interest due, settlements and determinations are not published.

A total of 2,536 Revenue audit and investigations took place during the period, as well as just under 8,000 risk management interventions. In total €114.62 million was yielded during the period, the Revenue said.