A well-known Wicklow cosmetic surgery has been hit with a big tax bill

The Avoca Clinic was ordered to pay €138,000, according to the latest tax defaulters list.

By Conor McMahon Deputy editor, Fora

A WELL-KNOWN COSMETIC surgery in Wicklow has appeared in the latest tax defaulters list.

Kilmacanogue-based Avoca Clinic was handed a bill for more than €138,000 in a case related to the under-declaration of PAYE, PRSI and USC following an audit by the tax office.

According to Revenue’s list of tax defaulters for the final three months of last year, the company paid off what it owed by 31 December last year.

Founded in 2012, the Avoca Clinic offers various cosmetic surgeries at its clinics in Wicklow and Limerick. It is headed up by mother and daughter Ailish Kelly and Niamh Murdock.

The company employs 50 staff and was sitting on an accumulated profit of just shy of €100,000 by the end of October 2017.

avoca clinic Avoca Clinic's Niamh Murdock

Biggest settlement

Of the 64 cases published by Revenue today, one surpassed the million-euro mark.

Dublin-based Dunbar IT Consulting Ltd, which is now in liquidation, was charged just over €1 million for the under-declaration of corporation tax, PAYE, PRSI, USC and VAT. By 31 December, it still owed Revenue more than €610,200 in tax, interest and penalties.

The next-largest settlement was made by accountant and landlord Fintan M Egan, with an address at Kimmage Road West, Dublin 12, who was ordered to pay €740,400 for under-declaring income tax and VAT. Egan still owed €670,000 at the end of 2017.

Some other notable inclusions on the latest defaulters list included:

  • Medical consultant Kenneth Kaar, with an address in Kilcolgan, Co Galway, who was ordered to pay more than €717,500 in taxes, interest and penalties for under-declaring income tax.
  • Fulvio Pellegrini, who operates Luigi’s Takeaway in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, who was handed a €481,000 bill related to the under-declaration of income tax and VAT. Pellegrini still owed the taxman €421,000 at the end of last year.
  • Motor vehicle dealer and mechanic Enda Conway, with an address in Pallas, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, who was ordered to pay €317,490 in a case related to the under-declaration of income tax and the non-declaration of VAT. Some €308,000 was still owed by 31 December.

In total, Revenue agreed settlements of €10.2 million relating to 64 cases during the final three months of last year. As of 31 December, the taxman was still owed just under €5 million.

Just under half of the cases were for amounts exceeding €100,000, of which three exceeded €500,000 and one surpassed the million-euro mark.

From October to December last year, more than 1,200 audits and investigations and 21,600 ‘risk management interventions’ were settled, resulting in a yield of over €108 million in tax, interest and penalties.

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