The Revenue Commissioners wrote off €178 million in taxes last year, with VAT the largest amount written off. The figure compares with €140 million in 2001.
After VAT, at €80 million, the next-largest category was PAYE, at €42 million, followed by income tax and PRSI. "Uneconomic to pursue" was the reason given for writing off 152,543 of the 157,255 cases.
€23.9m collected after tribunal inquiries
The Revenue received €23.9 million from tax inquiries arising from the Moriarty and Flood (now Mahon) tribunals at Dublin Castle, according to the Comptroller & Auditor General's report.
Matters disclosed at the Moriarty (Payments to Politicians) Tribunal led to 17 Revenue inquiries. One case has been settled for €6.29 million (the Haughey case), and a payment on account of €14,876 has been received in another.
Repayment plan for Kilkenny deficit
Kilkenny County Council is to pay the Department of Environment and Local Government €643,000 a year over the next 14 years in order to clear a deficit incurred by spending on public housing.
The C&AG details the local authority's attempt to repay borrowings made from the Government-backed Local Loans Fund and Housing Finance Agency before a dramatic drop in interest rates in the late 1980s.