THIS WEEK:IRELAND'S TAX experts gather in the Strand Hotel in Limerick this weekend for their annual bash, but it's unlikely to get too rowdy.

The Irish Tax Institute’s members are a diligent lot and are more likely to stay up late debating whether the contents of the hotel bar are tax deductible as opposed to knocking them back.

This year’s ITI conference is being jointly hosted with the Revenue Commissioners, so it will give those in practice the chance to rub shoulders with some of the leading names in the State’s tax collection agency.

One of the key speakers is Revenue’s Allen Finnegan, who will be giving the lowdown on the agency’s e-audit strategy, focusing on the future direction of the use of forensic tools to extend their capabilities. Meanwhile, his colleague Gerry Harrahill will discuss trends and developments in debt collection.

Perhaps the Government should send a representative to the conference – they might pick up a few tips on how to enforce payment of the annual household charge. After all, Revenue would never stand for a compliance rate of a paltry 50 per cent.