Revenue appoints solicitors to aid recovery of unpaid taxes
Revenue has today (14/02/05) appointed six firms of solicitors to support the recovery of unpaid taxes through the courts. The firms are:
Holmes O'Malley Sexton, Limerick
Ivor Fitzpatrick & Co., Dublin
George V Maloney & Co., Cavan
Mason Hayes & Curran, Dublin
Matheson Ormsby Prentice, Dublin
Pierse & Fitzgibbon, Listowel
These firms were selected following a competitive tendering process. The new contracts will run for a period of six years.
These firms will represent Revenue in cases where it is necessary to pursue tax payments through the legal system.
It is anticipated that as many as 7,000 cases per annum will be sent to these firms for enforcement. (This is in addition to approximately 35,000 cases referred annually for collection by Revenue Sheriffs.)
The activities performed by these firms on behalf of Revenue will include:
- obtaining and registering judgements
- the use of judgement mortgages and, if necessary the forced sale of property,
- applications for Court instalment orders and the enforcement of such orders,
- bankruptcy or liquidation of the most intransigent defaulters.
The appointment of these solicitors underpins Revenue's commitment to vigorously tackling tax non-compliance.
Josephine Feehily, Revenue Commissioner, speaking at the signing of the contracts in Limerick today, stated:
"Revenue has made great progress in recent years in improving tax collection. The level of tax debt has been very substantially reduced, and timely compliance has improved. However there still are those who continue to attempt to avoid their tax compliance obligations. We are determined, especially in the interests of fairness to the vast majority of our customers who are fully compliant, to vigorously pursue those non-compliers. The signing of these contracts is a further indication of our commitment to take firm action against defaulters when this proves necessary."
Additional Information
In 2004 a total of 6,723 cases were referred to solicitors and payments of €65.9 million were received by Revenue.