Strange phonecall from Revenue

donkey10

My husband and I were in Australia for a few years (5) and returned 2 years ago.

He just got a call from someone in the Dublin Revenue asking him the following:
-Where he was for the years that there is no info on the Revenue register for him
-What he was working at in Oz
-Did he buy or build a house and how was it financed. We don't have a mortgage, I just have a small 20k loan - so he said savings a some personal loans from family
-Mentioned they could see he is a subcontractor here and RCT was being paid over
-Noted that he was a plumber here - was he working for a contractor etc
-Asked what his wife did for work

I thought this very strange given that we are in the Clare Revenue District. Has anyone come across this recently?

She did mention that she is calling asking the queries instead of sending letters - he asked if she would be sending a letter at the end of the phonecall and she said no that she was happy with the answers.

Could this be a tip off or is it something to do with the Oz and Irish Government exchanging info??

Peregrinus

I doubt very much that this is the result of the Australian and Irish governments exchange info. If anything, this arises out of a lack of information.

What they have is a big gap of some years during which your husband reported no income. Plus, they see that he bought a house during or after this period. And they see he's a contract worker.

"I was out of the country" is one possible explanation for that pattern but, just given the bare information, you can immediately see another possible explanation, can't you? So that's what they're looking into.

Edgarfrndly

You should never provide any personal information over the phone. If they require information for you, ask them to send it in writing.

barneystinson

How do you know they were from Revenue in Dublin OP?

Peregrinus

barneystinson wrote: »

How do you know they were from Revenue in Dublin OP?

From the account of the conversation given by the OP, the caller clearly had information that the Revenue would have but that a scammer or fraudster would not be expected to have.

But, yeah, I'd be leery of someone calling me out of the blue, introducing themselves as someone from Revenue, and asking me about my business. My attitude would be that they can tell me anything they like, but anything they want to ask me they need to write to me about.

donkey10

It is very strange but he was caught on the hop. It was a dublin number and she said she was from Dublin Revenue, although didnt mention what area.

I asked him did he ask her to confirm her identity but he didn't.

I'm an accountant working in practice and I haven't heard of Revenue just ringing people out of the blue and asking them.

His father had transferred a site to him in the last year and we have built so they could see stamp duty was paid.

I suppose it is best to treat it as a routine call due to the lack of info they had in the system for the 5 years he was gone abroad - they were also possibly seeing if he was probably earning cash and not disclosing I reckon.

barneystinson

Peregrinus wrote: »

From the account of the conversation given by the OP, the caller clearly had information that the Revenue would have but that a scammer or fraudster would not be expected to have.

But, yeah, I'd be leery of someone calling me out of the blue, introducing themselves as someone from Revenue, and asking me about my business. My attitude would be that they can tell me anything they like, but anything they want to ask me they need to write to me about.

It's the Dublin part I'm querying rather than the Revenue part!

ixus

Ring revenue and ask have they been in touch. If not, tell them what happened.

thomasj

If you ever get a call from someone claiming to be in revenue you should always ask them to say your PPS number to ensure that is them.

donkey10

ixus wrote: »

Ring revenue and ask have they been in touch. If not, tell them what happened.

Ya that's a good idea

donkey10

thomasj wrote: »

If you ever get a call from Revenue you should always ask them to say your PPS number to ensure that is them.

Good way of verifying but sure hindsight is a great thing!

thomasj

donkey10 wrote:

Good way of verifying but sure hindsight is a great thing!

True, we only think of these things after it's happened.

Squatter

donkey10 wrote: »

His father had transferred a site to him in the last year and we have built so they could see stamp duty was paid.

That might explain the Dublin number - as far as I know, the stamping office is based in Dublin Castle.

donkey10 wrote: »

they were also possibly seeing if he was probably earning cash and not disclosing I reckon.

But she knew that he had subcontractor's RCT certs.

And, even if caught on the hop, he's hardly likely to admit that he was working in the black economy to a Revenue official cold-calling him!

donkey10

Squatter wrote: »

That might explain the Dublin number - as far as I know, the stamping office is based in Dublin Castle.



But she knew that he had subcontractor's RCT certs.

And, even if caught on the hop, he's hardly likely to admit that he was working in the black economy to a Revenue official cold-calling him!

Very true to the above. I'll wait and see if we get the "letter." Time will tell!!

lakill Farm

donkey10 wrote: »

Very true to the above. I'll wait and see if we get the "letter." Time will tell!!

I know that sometimes revenue in athlone call our office on an 01 number. And when you ask for their direct number it's 09064.

It seems to be a voip set up or central call centre

barneystinson

lakill Farm wrote: »

I know that sometimes revenue in athlone call our office on an 01 number. And when you ask for their direct number it's 09064.

It seems to be a voip set up or central call centre

Correct, most Revenue offices are using IP phones, so their numbers show on outgoing calls as a Dublin number. Hence my question to the OP. There's no reason why a Revenue office in Dublin would be making a phone enquiry like that to a Clare taxpayer.

padjocollins

i've a question about revenue.
I'm doing up a house in cork and got raided by revenue , 3 of them. They treated us fairly i suppose but walked around the house several times like they owned it and asked questions about anything under the sun (where did i get the money for the house, where i'm living , many other questions). I'd like to know what right i have a when they do call again , should they havea warrant or at least be restricted in their investigation say to make sure all workers are paying tax. I just don't like the way they beheave like a headmaster talking down to a pupil in first class. It's pathetic and silly in my view. thanks

relax carry on

padjocollins wrote: »

i've a question about revenue.
I'm doing up a house in cork and got raided by revenue , 3 of them. They treated us fairly i suppose but walked around the house several times like they owned it and asked questions about anything under the sun (where did i get the money for the house, where i'm living , many other questions). I'd like to know what right i have a when they do call again , should they havea warrant or at least be restricted in their investigation say to make sure all workers are paying tax. I just don't like the way they beheave like a headmaster talking down to a pupil in first class. It's pathetic and silly in my view. thanks

The link below is relation to Revenue entering construction sites. No warrant required. Is it your own house or a job you are completing as part of your trade? Did they have welfare officers with them?

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tdm/compliance/audit-and-other-compliance-interventions/code-of-practice/revenue-officers-entering-construction-sites.pdf

padjocollins

thanks for the link, they have a lot of power. It's my own house and i the workers i had weren't above board. i'm in the process of sorting it out. I just wish they quickly asked permission to walk around instead of running around the place like they owned it. But i'll get over and on with it.