Accounting for our Performance
As well as administering the tax and customs systems, we are also responsible for accounting for all revenues collected and for transferring the net amount to the Exchequer. In total, gross revenues of approximately €67 billion were collected in 2007. We are also responsible for spending and accounting for an administrative budget which in 2008 will be in excess of €445 million.
To maintain and improve confidence in our administration of the tax and customs systems and to ensure the efficient and effective use of the resources allocated to us, we must account for our performance in an open, transparent and public manner. In particular, we account for our performance as follows:
The Minister for Finance
We report to the Minister for Finance in our Annual Reports on progress made in achieving the outputs specified in our Statement of Strategy.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG)
The C&AG conducts ongoing audits of our receipts and expenditures and of our systems, procedures and practices. He also conducts Value for Money examinations of specific Revenue functions and programmes. The outcomes of these audits and investigations are published in the C&AG's Annual Report.
Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas
As Accounting Officer, our Chairman appears regularly before the Committee of Public Accounts to deal with issues raised by the C&AG in his Annual Report and any other matter relating to our activities that the Committee might wish to examine.
Revenue officials also appear before other committees of the Houses of the Oireachtas, such as the Committee on Finance and the Public Service.
The Institutions of the European Union
Our administration of EU Customs law is audited by the European Court of Auditors. We are also accountable to the European Commission and to the European Parliament.