The Taoiseach Enda Kenny warned last night that the coming budget will the the toughest yet with a package of cuts and tax increases. December’s Budget will be a €3.5bn package, with €2.25bn coming from cuts, and a further €1.25bn in extra taxes. There is also disagreement between the coalition parties on whether PRSI charges should be increased or social welfare payments reduced to cover a deficit in the social welfare fund of  €2.2bn.

New format PPSNs will be issued for new applicants with effect from 1st January 2013. The format of these numbers will be 9 characters i.e. 7 numeric followed by 2 alpha characters with the second alpha character being A e.g. 1234567SA.  Where employees have more than one employment with the same employer, Revenue use X and T in the ninth character space to identify the second employment. This will continue for current PPSNs with 8 characters. For new format numbers, second employments with the same employer will be identified by using […]

Payroll fraud can be devastating for companies and individuals alike.  Whether it’s one large, or numerous smaller incidents, the detrimental effect it can have on an organisation’s reputation and/or employee trust is significant.  It is therefore crucial that the risk is managed by having an effective system in place to detect and prevent payroll fraud from taking place… here are Ardbrook’s top tips to help avoid payroll fraud: Spot Check: Ensure you are in a position to analyse your pay data and identify any irregular patterns or behaviour.  Regular spot checks could highlight things like frequent changes of bank details, abnormal […]

Payroll is a complex process involving filing government-mandated forms, paying taxes and, most importantly, making sure your hard-working employees get their rightful wages. With so many details to consider, accuracy and attention to detail are essential to preventing mistakes and mishaps. Below are just a few of the biggest payroll blunders your business should take pains to avoid: 1. Setting up and Maintaining Payroll Incorrectly: To avoid government penalties and fees, ensure that the setup of your payroll system is fully compliant with all requirements. In addition to double-checking all wage calculations, don’t forget to register your business with Revenue. […]

A report published by Revenue on the 18th July 2012 shows that Revenue has reduced the administrative burden on businesses by 25%, saving businesses over €85 million a year. Having identified 62 of the most burdensome information obligations, interviews were held with 51 businesses and agents to establish the time and cost associated with these obligations. The measurement was carried out in accordance with the internationally accepted Standard Cost Model, and was overseen and validated by external consultants in the context of the commitment made by Government in March 2008. The main initiatives which led to the 25% burden reduction: Reduced […]

The Revenue Commissioners have become aware of further fraudulent emails purporting to come from Revenue seeking personal information from taxpayers in connection with a tax refund. These phishing emails are headed ‘Irish Tax and Customs Online Confirmation’ and ‘Irish Tax and Customs Notification’. A link opens up a form seeking personal information. These emails did not issue from Revenue. The Revenue Commissioners never send emails requiring customers to send personal information via email or pop-up windows.

A facility to pay tax by credfit card (limited to VISA and MasterCard) to Revenue using the Revenue On-Line Service (ROS) is now available. A person wishing to pay by credit card via ROS must pay a transaction charge, of 1.49% of the value of the payment. This charge is purely related to third party fees incurred by Revenue, in the provision of this service. Debit, Laser and Credit card details are now validated on ROS in real time. Revenue has engaged the services of a Payments Gateway, to provide for the real time authorisation of such card details […]