Do revenue check facebook accounts?

pennypitstop · 01-11-2013 11:50PM #1

Heard recently that the taxman monitors facebook to try and catch people for not being properly registered or paying tax, in particular trades people doing nixers & crafts people who have set up unofficial businesses.

Apparently this has been going on for a while. Must be like shooting fish in a barrel especially coming up to christmas, though I've never heard of anyone being caught this way.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 01-11-2013 11:53PM

If they don't, they certainly should.

goose2005 · 01-11-2013 11:54PM

They might if they got a tipoff, but Facebook posts aren't really great evidence.

01-11-2013 11:55PM

I think that it would have to be reported that someone is advertising on FB for revenue to even have the time to look, well FFS they're up to their necks in getting all the other taxes before they start looking at peoples Fb pages.

Rho b · 01-11-2013 11:56PM

I do not know if it's true but someone told me that they do track trade advertisements on internet sites like G'tree and D'deal.

Stheno · 01-11-2013 11:57PM

I know someone who works in Revenue who said this is an area they are focussing on to identify those who may be setting up businesses on facebook and trying to avoid tax.

They are having a fair bit of success with it, from mobile hairdressers/beauticians etc to others running small businesses.

Irish Revenue has one of the most highly sophisticated IT setups in Europe, and according to the person I spoke to, they have an entire department who spend their time looking for online trading that they can follow up on.

Sh1tbag OToole · 01-11-2013 11:57PM

I know for a sure fact that they were trying to at one point. They were going to use it to try and find people flying in for the weekend to claim their dole and similar stuff. Not sure if the project went ahead in the end.

Tis scary sh1t this big brother society we live in. At the start it will be catching out the scammers everyone hates, but if it proves to be a success they will be using it to catch out a lad who converts his attic to a bedroom and doesn't tell the revenue he now needs to pay more property tax because the value of his house has gone up

dxhound2005 · 02-11-2013 12:03AM

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

I know for a sure fact that they were trying to at one point. They were going to use it to try and find people flying in for the weekend to claim their dole and similar stuff. Not sure if the project went ahead in the end.

Tis scary sh1t this big brother society we live in. At the start it will be catching out the scammers everyone hates, but if it proves to be a success they will be using it to catch out a lad who converts his attic to a bedroom and doesn't tell the revenue he now needs to pay more property tax because the value of his house has gone up

You are making it even more scary by scaremongering. If a person does improvements to their house they do not have to pay more property tax. The valuation given will stay in place until everyone has to do another one after 2016.

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/lpt/faqs/valuation.html#section2

2. If I make improvements to my property e.g. by adding an extension, will the value of my property for LPT purposes change for future years?

The valuation of your property for LPT purposes on 1 May 2013 will stay the same for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 no matter what improvements you make to your property.

jam_mac_jam · 02-11-2013 12:03AM

I would say they do, if they don't they should. Revenue seems to be one of the more together departments so I could see them doing this. You would want to be pretty stupid to advertise on Facebook if you are not paying tax.

dxhound2005 · 02-11-2013 12:04AM

pennypitstop wrote: »

Heard recently that the taxman monitors facebook to try and catch people for not being properly registered or paying tax, in particular trades people doing nixers & crafts people who have set up unofficial businesses.

Apparently this has been going on for a while. Must be like shooting fish in a barrel especially coming up to christmas, though I've never heard of anyone being caught this way.

Where did you hear this?

pennypitstop · 02-11-2013 12:04AM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

If they don't, they certainly should.

I'd say a lot more established businesses would like to see it happen. I know a shopowner who reckons she loses loads of business especially at times like christmas due to unofficial online shops or even people selling at the fairs.

02-11-2013 12:06AM

goose2005 wrote: »

They might if they got a tipoff, but Facebook posts aren't really great evidence.

Only takes that to get an investigation started though.

Twiki · 02-11-2013 12:06AM

Loads of those facebook accounts are probably held offshore too.

02-11-2013 12:07AM

Twiki wrote: »

Loads of those facebook accounts are probably held offshore too.

Lisha · 02-11-2013 12:08AM

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

I would say they do, if they don't they should. Revenue seems to be one of the more together departments so I could see them doing this. You would want to be pretty stupid to advertise on Facebook if you are not paying tax.

I'd bet the majority of novelty cake businesses on fb are not tax compliant.

michael999999 · 02-11-2013 12:08AM

Stheno wrote: »

I know someone who works in Revenue who said this is an area they are focussing on to identify those who may be setting up businesses on facebook and trying to avoid tax.

They are having a fair bit of success with it, from mobile hairdressers/beauticians etc to others running small businesses.

Irish Revenue has one of the most highly sophisticated IT setups in Europe, and according to the person I spoke to, they have an entire department who spend their time looking for online trading that they can follow up on.

One of the most highly sophisticated IT set ups in Europe you say?

Is that why you can't pay your property tax by laser or credit card!

pennypitstop · 02-11-2013 12:08AM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Where did you hear this?

A friend was on a start your own business course & someone was in to give a talk on tax compliance.
Al;so said that they would sometimes select an area and pick eg plumbers in that area, google it & even check notice boards in local shops etc. They would then send a team down and try and contact as many as possible & check them out.

Sh1tbag OToole · 02-11-2013 12:09AM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

You are making it even more scary by scaremongering. If a person does improvements to their house they do not have to pay more property tax. The valuation given will stay in place until everyone has to do another one after 2016.

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/lpt/faqs/valuation.html#section2

2. If I make improvements to my property e.g. by adding an extension, will the value of my property for LPT purposes change for future years?

The valuation of your property for LPT purposes on 1 May 2013 will stay the same for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 no matter what improvements you make to your property.

So in 2016 he's fcuked.

This sort of thing is unfortunately quite common in other countries that our overlords so often strive to copy in every way. You have lads going around inspecting but with this new system nobody has to get up off their arse or waste any petrol. Enda will be the poster-boy of Europe once again. He'll have something to contribute when he flies over to Brussels in the government jet and he's sitting at the table with the rest of the overlords discussing new ways to extract money from their subjects.

dxhound2005 · 02-11-2013 12:13AM

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

So in 2016 he's fcuked.

This sort of thing is unfortunately quite common in other countries that our overlords so often strive to copy in every way. You have lads going around inspecting but with this new system nobody has to get up off their arse or waste any petrol. Enda will be the poster-boy of Europe once again. He'll have something to contribute when he flies over to Brussels in the government jet and he's sitting at the table with the rest of the overlords discussing new ways to extract money from their subjects.

There will be a new government before then. What makes you think Enda will still be in it?

Stheno · 02-11-2013 12:14AM

michael999999 wrote: »

One of the most highly sophisticated IT set ups in Europe you say?

Is that why you can't pay your property tax by laser or credit card!

I paid mine by credit card.

You might have missed the news recently where if you did pay by direct payment such as Visa, you may need to pay for by Nov. 27th.

The RoS system has been recognised as innovative and won European awards.

dxhound2005 · 02-11-2013 12:15AM

michael999999 wrote: »

One of the most highly sophisticated IT set ups in Europe you say?

Is that why you can't pay your property tax by laser or credit card!

I think you can.

2. What debit/credit cards do Revenue accept for paying LPT in full when filing on-line?

You may pay your LPT in full when filing on-line with the following cards:
Laser
Mastercard Credit
Mastercard Debit
Visa Credit
Visa Debit

Sh1tbag OToole · 02-11-2013 12:17AM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

There will be a new government before then. What makes you think Enda will still be in it?

Its not like they're going to sit around and drag their feet until 2016, spending millions on consultants, feasibility studies and re-hashed plans that end up in the bin as they do with every other project. When it comes to ripping off the people of this country there is no time for stallin' with these boys.

michael999999 · 02-11-2013 12:20AM

Stheno wrote: »

I paid mine by credit card.

You might have missed the news recently where if you did pay by direct payment such as Visa, you may need to pay for by Nov. 27th.

The RoS system has been recognised as innovative and won European awards.

Ya, they can only accept payment this year for next years dues. Can't see how the system is that sophisticated if that's the case!

02-11-2013 12:21AM

Stheno wrote: »

The RoS system has been recognised as innovative and won European awards.

Maybe so, the real problem is that there is still no "joined up Government", one department takes money from you another gives it to you one taxes your car another sends you the NCT reminder and so on

Fred Swanson · 02-11-2013 12:21AM

This post has been deleted.

General General · 02-11-2013 12:22AM

Suddenly, a whole lot of folks that bought/begged/borrowed/stole 'likes' for their business page are ****ting themselves... lots of updates? check! testimonials? check? bit that bigs up the scale of the business & how busy you are? check!

Some people will get shafted that don't & didn't have much of a business.

Media999 · 02-11-2013 12:23AM

Stheno wrote: »

I know someone who works in Revenue who said this is an area they are focussing on to identify those who may be setting up businesses on facebook and trying to avoid tax.

They are having a fair bit of success with it, from mobile hairdressers/beauticians etc to others running small businesses.

Irish Revenue has one of the most highly sophisticated IT setups in Europe, and according to the person I spoke to, they have an entire department who spend their time looking for online trading that they can follow up on.

As a software developer that made me laugh.

The social welfare offices still do most work in pen and paper.

When someone can step off a plane, walk into a post office and collect dole in 5 different names you know we dont have the best systems in Europe.

Stheno · 02-11-2013 12:25AM

michael999999 wrote: »

Ya, they can only accept payment this year for next years dues. Can't see how the system is that sophisticated if that's the case!

It's a yearly charge? Why would they take more than one years, especially as the govt is close to ending it's term and any changes to LPT have to be factored in yearly?

Deleted User wrote: »

Maybe so, the real problem is that there is still no "joined up Government", one department takes money from you another gives it to you one taxes your car another sends you the NCT reminder and so on

I thought that too, until one year I had four weeks of being unemployed and was on JSB.

Lo and behold when I got a balancing statement from revenue for the year, the four weeks of JSB were included and I owed them a small amount of tax.

And remember the furore last year over revenue sending out letters to pensioners overdue on taxes, based on combined information from the DSP and Revenue?

They've a way to go as a collective of Government departments, but Revenue are pretty much streaks ahead of most government departments and a lot of European ones when it comes to hitting out against non compliance.

dxhound2005 · 02-11-2013 12:26AM

General General wrote: »

Suddenly, a whole lot of folks that bought/begged/borrowed/stole 'likes' for their business page are ****ting themselves... lots of updates? check! testimonials? check? bit that bigs up the scale of the business & how busy you are? check!

Some people will get shafted that don't & didn't have much of a business.

What do you mean get shafted? They can only get taxed on whatever they earn, same as me. I get shafted every week on the PAYE system.

hfallada · 02-11-2013 12:27AM

Irish revenue are actually incrediable good with finding tax evasion with IT. I read they monitor foreign credit use particular cards from tax havens, to identify Irish people with off shore bank accounts using cards to access funds. So why wouldnt they monitor facebook? I imagine they have a computer to monitor businesses and profile potential tax evasion.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/public-finances/revenue-inquiry-on-irish-clients-of-hsbc-with-swiss-accounts-1.1476494

Irish Revenue are extremely sharp. If they identify a tax loophole its generally closed within the year.

dxhound2005 · 02-11-2013 12:27AM

Media999 wrote: »

As a software developer that made me laugh.

The social welfare offices still do most work in pen and paper.

When someone can step off a plane, walk into a post office and collect dole in 5 different names you know we dont have the best systems in Europe.

Report them.

https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/secure/ReportFraud.aspx

Do revenue check facebook accounts?

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