Comments on: The Issues Around Bertiegate in a Nutshell

By: P O'Neill

P O'Neill — Mon, 14 May 2007 17:12:26 +0000

Bertie is now introduced a new definition of tax-compliant: if you’ve had no communication with the Revenue –

Speaking today in an interview with journalist Matt Cooper on Today FM, Mr Ahern said he was tax compliant and that this was not at odds with what he had told the Dail in his statement last year.

“When I said that in the Dáil I hadn’t even communicated with the Revenue. So what I said in the Dail was absolutely factual,” Mr Ahern said.

On his dealings with the Revenue since then, Mr Ahern said his advisers believe that he is “totally tax compliant and that I don’t owe anything”.

By: Mgt

Mgt — Mon, 14 May 2007 15:15:40 +0000

I have read the statement via politics.ie
The issue is surreal.
One knows from the Haughey issues, that the full truth cannot emerge until a Taoiseach is not in government & then it will take years to unravel (to use a knitting rather than a washing/laundering term – both traditionally performed by the female gender)!
I am an emigrant & really want to return to Ireland. Do you know Mr Wall’s address?
I too am quite prepared to allow Mr Wall to stay in his house whilst still paying full rent to him and arranging refurbishment and payment of required taxes for him at no extra charge.
Therefore I am an idiot.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 14 May 2007 12:05:53 +0000

Yeah, I really want this dodgy character as Taoiseach again. /sarcasm

Bertie should have stepped down 6 months ago and FF should have elected a new party leader, going into an election with a corrupt character like Bertie is like breaking your legs before a race.

By: Twenty Major

Twenty Major — Mon, 14 May 2007 10:59:36 +0000

There’s another plausible explanation. He’s making it all up.

- another
+ only one

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 14 May 2007 08:19:57 +0000

There’s another plausible explanation. He’s making it all up.

By: P O'Neill

P O'Neill — Mon, 14 May 2007 03:12:56 +0000

There’s more. Today’s Irish Times has a new twist, straight from the horse’s mouth –

Mr Ahern later confirmed to reporters that in the past six months he had made a payment to the Revenue Commissioners relating to the payments and gifts he received in the early 1990s.

He denied this was at odds with his statement in the Dáil last October that he had no tax liabilities on the money he had received. He insisted that his advice was that this was still the case and that he would be refunded most of the money he had given to the Revenue Commissioners.

The Irish Times has learned that the Taoiseach was approached by the Revenue Commissioners after the payments controversy last October with a query as to whether he had a tax liability from that time.

Under taxation law, a person who believes they may have a tax liability can make a voluntary payment “on account” in order to avoid penalties or prosecution for tax evasion. Following negotiations with the Revenue Commissioners, some or all of that sum can be refunded if the Revenue finds or accepts that there is limited or no liability.

So look at the loophole Bertie has now driven through tax law. You claim initially that there’s no tax liability. When the Revenue point out that there might be, you say “very sorry, here’s a few quid on account” — and you avoid all the penalties while they calculate the tax that you should have paid in the first place. Hopefully he didn’t need another dig-out for the this payment to the Revenue.