Revenue has published its Protected Disclosures Annual Report for 2024 which provides information on both internal and external protected disclosures received in 2024. The report notes a significant increase in the number of disclosures, regarding potential tax or duty non-compliance, received by Revenue through its external reporting channels.
Revenue has internal reporting channels and procedures in place for both current and former staff who wish to make a protected disclosure. In 2024, five reports were considered under Revenue’s policy on protected disclosure reporting. One report was closed following a comprehensive assessment by the Protected Disclosures Group which determined that there was no evidence of a relevant wrongdoing. Assessments of the other four reports, all received in Q4, were on-going on 31 December 2024.
External protected disclosures are reports made by workers who are employed by a business, individual or organisation, other than Revenue, that contain information about potential wrongdoing related to tax, duty or customs controls.
In 2024, a total of 930 reports were received through Revenue’s external protected disclosures channels with 171 reports assessed as meeting the criteria to be considered as a protected disclosure. The majority of the remainder of the reports related to reports of tax evasion not encountered in a work-related setting and this information was referred to the relevant Revenue Division for appropriate action.
Compliance interventions opened on foot of the receipt of information in a protected disclosure report yielded over €1.2 million in additional taxes and/or duties for the Exchequer in 2024.
Commenting on today’s publication, Revenue’s Director of Internal Audit, Leeann Kennedy said:
“Revenue welcomes all reports of information regarding suspected tax non-compliance or tax evasion. Workers who provide information to Revenue under the framework of the Protected Disclosures Act are afforded a range of important legal protections. Revenue will always safeguard the worker’s identity”.
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