MILLIONAIRE Northern Ireland Mr John McGuckian was left with a tax bill of £575,000 (€730,090) yesterday after losing a court case relating to cross-Border dividends.

Mr McGuckian, whose business interests include the chairmanship of Ulster Television, contended he was not liable as the tax demand for the year 1979 was issued after the statutory six-year limit.

But in the High Court in Belfast, his application for judicial review was dismissed by Mr Justice Kerr, who ruled that the special tax commissioner acted properly when he extended the time limit.

The assessment related to dividends of £693,000 paid to Mr McGuckian by Ballinamore Textiles Ltd, of Ballinamore, County Leitrim, which he established in 1972.

At the time he was paid the dividends, the top rate of tax in Northern Ireland was 83 pence in the pound.

Mr McGuckian, of Cloughmills, County Antrim, had told the court in an affidavit: "I contend that the failure to assess in time was not attributable to any wilful default or neglect on my part."

In 1994 Mr McGuckian was involved in court action over taxsaving schemes relating to bills of almost £900,000 in respect of dividends from Ballinamore Textiles in the tax years 1979-81.