Do revenue check facebook accounts?

bladespin · 02-11-2013 11:29AM

Morph the Cat wrote: »

You know this from years of seeing it disputed & refuted in court, yes? Or did you just make that up?

I can't see how someone using their real name, with a photo of themselves, having a business page with their e-mail and/or contact number, and posting from their home IP address, could not be evidence that it's them.

Anyone can open a FB page using someone else's name etc, the mere fact that you can do so would IMO render any information gleemed from a FB page as just information, not evidence.

oceanman · 02-11-2013 11:43AM

anyone running a business 'under the radar' and I know a few, would be totally crazy to advertise on sites like facebook! its asking to be caught.

donegal__road · 02-11-2013 11:59AM

musicians have been monitored on Facebook by revenue

c_man · 02-11-2013 12:37PM

donegal__road wrote: »

musicians have been monitored on Facebook by revenue

Be far easier to drop into any pub at the weekend tbh.

Lisha · 02-11-2013 12:39PM

c_man wrote: »

Be far easier to drop into any pub at the weekend tbh.

Then we'd be up in arms about the overtime bill!

Lineball · 02-11-2013 12:49PM

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.

The poster was talking about the Revenue. No one said anything about social welfare. My uncle told me that in the 1970s the Irish revenue had the second most powerful computer in Europe. Many Revenue IT people were hired by outside employers because of their advanced skills in IT.

anncoates · 02-11-2013 12:50PM

Just the hot people.

If you're ugly and doing nixers, you should be fine.

Legs.Eleven · 02-11-2013 01:05PM

bladespin wrote: »

Anyone can open a FB page using someone else's name etc, the mere fact that you can do so would IMO render any information gleemed from a FB page as just information, not evidence.

What do you mean by this? It doesn't make sense.

Morph the Cat · 02-11-2013 01:21PM

bladespin wrote: »

Anyone can open a FB page using someone else's name etc, the mere fact that you can do so would IMO render any information gleemed from a FB page as just information, not evidence.

I'm going to have to assume you're not a Private Detective by profession.

Off the top of my head, I can think of a few common sense ways to confirm if it's genuinely the person or not:
1) Contact them via e-mail or phone enquiring about making an order and confirm it's them.
2) Are they posting from their home IP address? This can be legally requested from their ISP & FB if required for court. Prob not even necessary to go that far though, but can be done if necessary to confirm it was not a fake account.
3) Are they in any photos on their FB business page? Most people I know who do this, have photos up of themselves working in their home workshop; whether sculpting, or re-vamping old furniture, etc.

just information, not evidence.

They're mutually exclusive? :rolleyes: Not the sharpest tool, are you? Go put some callcards in the freezer.

smcgiff · 02-11-2013 01:42PM

stoneill wrote: »

They can't even manage to get my tax right despite all their IT systems designed to do that...

I'd hazzard a guess that if your tax is not calculated correctly it's down to the information or lack of it that you/or your employer have provided to Revenue.

Phoebas · 02-11-2013 01:53PM

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!

You can.

snubbleste · 02-11-2013 02:01PM

I know Revenue were going to supermarkets, checking the small ads on noticeboards and pursuing them.
It would not surprise me if they are following through online also.

donegal__road · 02-11-2013 02:04PM

snubbleste wrote: »

I know Revenue were going to supermarkets, checking the small ads on noticeboards and pursuing them.
It would not surprise me if they are following through online also.

the revenue were in a local supermarket up here a couple of years ago, wanting to know names of the people who (wait for it..) were supplying the small bags of sticks and wood you use to light the fire.

Morph the Cat · 02-11-2013 02:13PM

donegal__road wrote: »

the revenue were in a local supermarket up here a couple of years ago, wanting to know names of the people who (wait for it..) were supplying the small bags of sticks and wood you use to light the fire.

Why the "wait for it"? You implying that's not a business?

donegal__road · 02-11-2013 02:18PM

Morph the Cat wrote: »

Why the "wait for it"? You implying that's not a business?

its very small buns, dont you think?

Seriously, wee bags of sticks out of the hedge...

Have revenue not bigger fish to fry?

Lineball · 02-11-2013 02:22PM

Morph the Cat wrote: »

You know this from years of seeing it disputed & refuted in court, yes? Or did you just make that up?

I can't see how someone using their real name, with a photo of themselves, having a business page with their e-mail and/or contact number, and posting from their home IP address, could not be evidence that it's them.

The facebook posts don't need to be used as evidence. They are pointers wjhere evidence can be found. One individual in the home improvements business was asked to price a job. He gave a price and was asked when he could do it, no haggling on price. He was asked for his three previous customers as the person hadn't heard of him before.
It turned out that the person was a tax inspector and they showed up demanding paperwork including details for the three jobs. Since he had told them himself he did the three jobs there was no need to rely on his advertising.
People are asked for a statement of affairs and are then asked if they wish to change it. If they say no the tax person says "what about x and y?" "now do you want to change? The person does not know how much the inspector knows and does not know what evidence they have. they generally have little option but to come clean.

cloud493 · 02-11-2013 02:23PM

I have people on facebook who boast about how they work and rip the government off by taking dole at the same time. So yes they should definitely check it.

uch · 02-11-2013 02:53PM

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.

Social Welfare has nothing to do with the Revenue Commissioners

uch · 02-11-2013 02:54PM

Oh and should have added, they definitely do check facebook and twitter

stoneill · 02-11-2013 06:36PM

smcgiff wrote: »

I'd hazzard a guess that if your tax is not calculated correctly it's down to the information or lack of it that you/or your employer have provided to Revenue.

You'd be wrong then.

darkpagandeath · 02-11-2013 07:24PM

donegal__road wrote: »

its very small buns, dont you think?

Seriously, wee bags of sticks out of the hedge...

Have revenue not bigger fish to fry?

Someone has to take the rap and keep the eye off them bankrupt developers wives with loads of money house's cars and so on. But the husband is bankrupt... Transferring assets going bankrupt in the Uk all them loopholes should be shut. But never will because a TD may need to avail of them to dodge his creditors

marshbaboon · 02-11-2013 07:31PM

If revenue is willing to take the time & cost involved to find my facebook page, they're entitled to do whatever they wish with four thousand pictures of cats and a dozen rape jokes.

Fred Swanson · 02-11-2013 07:38PM

This post has been deleted.

Uberbeamerman · 02-11-2013 07:41PM

They check it alright, but only when they're supposed to be doing other things like work!

dxhound2005 · 02-11-2013 07:46PM

donegal__road wrote: »

its very small buns, dont you think?

Seriously, wee bags of sticks out of the hedge...

Have revenue not bigger fish to fry?

They have been frying big fish for years. And big fishermen.

If you know of any other big fish in Donegal the Revenue would like to hear from you.

http://www.thejournal.ie/defaulters-list-1077340-Sep2013/

The three settlements between €500,000 and a million were:
€896,558: Denis J Boyle (retired fisherman/company director), Acres, Burtonport, Donegal (for under-declaration of Capital Gains Tax & Income Tax)
€706,610: Mary McHugh (hackney service provider – retired) Cornelscourt, Newbridge (for under-declaration of Capital Gains Tax)
€609,119: Barty O’Brien Ltd (contract cleaners), Brownstown, The Curragh, Kildare (for under-declaration of VAT & PAYE/PRSI)

Sheldons Brain · 02-11-2013 07:47PM

As noted above, the Revenue is not Welfare, the shame is that Welfare are not half as organised.

As for a department monitoring FB, they probably don't need one, the tax compliant businesses probably tell them about the fly by night operators.

banie01 · 02-11-2013 07:57PM

I don't know about Revenue, but I am aware of one case from a few years ago where a woman was caught out by Welfare through her Bebo page.
She was claiming OPFA fraudulently as she was living with her then partner(Now husband) and when she was called to an interview she was caught out on multiple lies via screenshots of photo's and posts from her Bebo account.

Fred Swanson · 02-11-2013 07:58PM

This post has been deleted.

Cian92 · 02-11-2013 08:00PM

smcgiff wrote: »

I'd hazzard a guess that if your tax is not calculated correctly it's down to the information or lack of it that you/or your employer have provided to Revenue.

I wouldn't be so quick to defend the Revenue. Up until a month ago you couldn't complete a Form 11 on ROS offline and say you were not resident in any country.

If you ever try paying a liability by Electronic Fund Transfer it seems to get lost so many times despite the fact that you complete the form they ask you to complete.

If you try and claim split year relief or make a claim for foreign tax paid you will run into trouble. The people dealing with the claim don't seem to have the technical knowledge to process the return. I once got asked to send proof from the French authorities of tax paid, obviously it was in French. I sent it on and got asked to translate it, sure if I translate it it defeats the purpose of sending it in in the first place.

On balance from my dealings with the Revenue, I would describe them as incompetent to say the least.

dxhound2005 · 02-11-2013 08:03PM

Sheldons Brain wrote: »

As noted above, the Revenue is not Welfare, the shame is that Welfare are not half as organised.

As for a department monitoring FB, they probably don't need one, the tax compliant businesses probably tell them about the fly by night operators.

If they were not very organised in getting money to people we would hear lots about it. The only recent publicity I can remember was about a backlog in getting dole claims processed. I haven't heard about it for a while so it may be resolved by now. They pay €20 billion out to 2.3 million people every year, that must take some organisation.

An operation of such scale is attractive to fraudsters. If you think they are not doing enough to prevent fraud you can help by reporting the offenders, anonymously if you like.

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

Do revenue check facebook accounts?

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