Never got signed contract for rent from owner / agent.

Nicknamed

HI,
I need a little help.
I was previously in donegal and have rented a flat in dublin for about 8 months now.
Being a busy professional I had little time to explore dublin before moving in, so my wife came over for a day and had a look on few properties and then we decided on a place to rent.
I rang the agent and he told us to deposit the money in his account and also he emailed me the contract and told me to print ,sign and send it to him along with my passport photocopy.
He said that when we come to dublin he will give us the signed contract.
We reached dublin on a saturday and he left the keys for us in a restaurant to pick up that we did and moved in.
Since that day, I have been asking him on telephone and email to send the contract but he has not sent it, I have never met him myself in person!
I have been paying him the rent regularly. Actually there was a different name of house owner and a different bank account number on that contract, but he told us to deposit rent every month in his account and in his name.
It has been fine till now , I have been depositing money online in his account. Now I have received the property tax notice in my name and I have been told that I'm liable for tax unless I give evidence that I'm not liable. That means contract copy.
I contacted him again and he posted me a copy of contract without mine or his own signatures, i.e. just the printed contract.
This is getting a bit fishy for me now.
What should I do ? Should I report to Gardi ? Is there any central registered data base which has names of actural house owners and I can take house owner details from there and post to the tax office that I"m not liable for tax ?
I have his emailic replies as an evidence, but He never replied on my query regarding contract posting via email.
Kindly guide, what advantage is he getting by not providing the contract ?
I tried to find the owner by the name and address on that unsigned contract but that owner does not exist!

Thanks a lot.

drunkmonkey

Call him on the phone and sort it out, it sounds like he does not want to have the conversation by email, there can be numerous reasons for this.

From the revenue website this is what you need to do, nothing else, do not involve the Gardai.

2. What should I do if I receive an LPT Return in my name but I am not the owner of the residential property?

Within 30 days of receiving the LPT Return, you should write to Revenue and include the following information:

Explain why you do not consider yourself to be the liable person,
Whatever supporting documentation that may be relevant, and
The name(s), address(es)and PPSN(s) of the liable person(s).

Call him and ask him to furnish you with the proof you need for revenue. No email or text.

Nicknamed

He doesn't pick phone. Only at odd times