The 'Do Nothing' strategy

Last May, Revenue Commissioners chairman Frank Daly is quoted in the Irish Times (Sub. Re’q).

“We have turned a corner as far as tax evasion is concerned, and it is important that we keep going in the right direction.”

“There was no indication of any serious area of systematic fraud or evasion within the tax system.”

In yesterday’s Sunday Independent we learn that after a Revenue trawl through just 86 accountants 52 (60%) of them were found to be underpaying tax. I just love that soft and gentle word ‘underpaying’.

Apparently, no such word exists for dodgy social welfare recipients. They are unequivocally referred to as thieves, cheats and fraudsters who do untold damage to the state and its citizens by their grasping greed

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) is the authority allegedly responsible for keeping accountants in line. A spokesman for the institute said they did nothing if any of its members made a settlement with the taxman as a result of ‘underpaying’ tax.

Do nothing? Yes, that would be close to the strategy of most so called regulatory agencies in Ireland.