Deloittes are repugnant

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I've been sent a report from the Irish Examiner from December 2007. It says:

THE Revenue Commissioners have discovered a €200 million tax avoidance scheme involving a leading accountancy firm and motor dealers selling 4x4s.

The scheme, criticised by the country's top revenue official as "repugnant", relies on a purported ambiguity in the 1992 Finance Act that the accountancy firm promoting it, Deloitte, claims exempts 4x4s from vehicle registration tax (VRT).

Motor dealers involved in the scheme have so far lodged €170m in claims for repayment of VRT but Revenue chairman Frank Daly said more claims were expected.

"It has the potential to deprive the exchequer of €200m. It's a try-on. It's repugnant to me. Its intention is to get a windfall benefit for a very small group of motor dealers and the accountancy firm, at the general expense of the exchequer and every other taxpayer in the country."

While not illegal, Mr Daly said it was "unacceptable behaviour", which left him very disappointed. "This is a type of behaviour by accountancy firms that makes me wonder how I can be positive about this profession," he said. "I can assure you we will fight it," he continued, later adding: "Nobody will get a penny out of this."

Deloittes, repugnant? When they behave like that the description sounds quite right.

Frank Daly's description of the profession doing this sort of thing is horribly accurate.

What should be made clear is that firms who do this dort of thing are not pillars of society, they are actively working to undermine society. I don't like anti-social behaviour. I especially don't like it from people in suits.


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