Businessman John Milton owes Revenue €5.8m

Businessman John Milton, director of a company behind a controversial counselling service, owed Revenue €5.8 million at the end of last year, according to the tax defaulters' list.

More than 30 people and businesses paid a total of €16.9 million in tax, interest and penalties to the Revenue, the defaulters’ list for the final three months of 2020 shows.

Mr Milton owed €2.4 million, almost €2.7 million in interest and €720,860 in penalties, a total of €5.8 million at the end of the last year, making his the biggest settlement listed for the final quarter.

He and his wife, Bernie Purcell, are directors and shareholders of Roebuck Consulting Ltd, in Rathgar, Dublin.

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The company was a the centre of controversy in 2008 when it emerged that a therapist at its Roebuck Counselling Centre had received up to €250,000 from clients for “life mentoring” services.

The couple are also directors of Carraig Tur Nursing Home Ltd, which ran a nursing home in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford that closed in 2010. Both entities continue to file returns to the Registrar of Companies.

Mr Milton’s address is given as 3 Garville Place, Garville Avenue, Rathgar, which is also listed as the registered address of Roebuck Consulting and Carraig Tur Nursing Home. His settlement arose from an audit which found under declaration of income tax.

The defaulters’ list indicates that €5.8 million was due on Decemember 31st last year. Efforts to contact him for a comment were not successful on Tuesday.

Ailwee Cave Company Ltd, which offers tours of the limestone caves in the Burren, Co Clare, and runs other tourist attractions, paid €154,532.13 in tax, €49,792 interest and €44,385 in penalties, a total of €248,709.13, to Revenue.

The settlement covered under-declared income tax, social insurance and VAT, the list states.

Defunct fuel seller Gaboto Ltd made the second biggest settlement, €4.3 million, that is, €1.8 million in tax, €1.1 million interest and €1.4 million penalties, for not declaring excise duty and under declaring VAT.

The company was originally based in Monaghan, but has been in liquidation since December 2015.

Revenue pointed out that it raised €200.4 million from audits, investigations and other action aimed at boosting compliance in the final quarter of last year.

“These published settlements reflect only a portion of all Revenue audits and investigations,” the tax authority said in a statement with the defaulters’ list.

Revenue does not publish details of settlements where an individual or business has made a voluntary disclosure under the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, or the settlement is €35,000 or less.