Nine tax cases involving companies and individuals were settled with fines of €2.8m in respect of €1.25m in tax owed to the Revenue Commissioners during the third quarter.

Dublin log cabin maker Loghouse Living Ltd, now in liquidation, was issued with a fine of more than €1m for under-declaration of liability for VAT, owing €390,000 in tax, a further €295,000 in interest and €390,000 in penalties.

Company director David Magee, of Carrigane, Blessington, Co Wicklow settled his offshore assets investigation and under-declaration of income tax case for €620,000, the largest settlement after Loghouse Living.

Cork fish supplier Pos Fishing Ltd settled its under-declaration of corporation tax, PAYE/PRSI/USC and VAT case for €335,000.

There were also six-figure settlements for haulage contractor Kevin Judge of Lowtown, Robertstown, Naas, Co Kildare (€225,000) over unpaid VAT, and DJ Thomas Coloe of 10 Sandford Woods in Swords, Co Dublin over non-declaration of capital gains tax and unpaid income tax and VAT.

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Elsewhere, former fascia/soffit roofer and farmer Thomas Donoghue, with an address at Knockdrumagh, Myshall, Co Carlow settled his unpaid income tax case for €115,000, and takeaway owner Yen Ung Thi of 240 Swords Road Santry will pay €125,000 for an income tax bill.

In four of the nine cases in which a settlement was reached during the quarter, the settlement had not been fully paid at the end of September, with €1.4m of the €2.8m still outstanding.

The courts issued €168,000 in fines in respect of 61 tax or duty offences during the quarter, including 29 fines amounting to €94,000 in relation to cases of failure to file a tax return and delivering an incorrect tax return.

There were 13 cases of misuse of marked mineral oil and two cases of failure to hold a current oil licence, for which the courts imposed total fines of €39,000.

A further 13 fines totalling €26,000 as well as two prison sentences, related to excise offences for tobacco smuggling, illegal selling of tobacco and possession of untaxed tobacco for sale.

Combined fines of €5,000 related to two cases of failing to keep a vehicle stationary, and fines of €4,000 and one six-month sentence were imposed in two cases of obstruction of a Revenue officer.

(Pic: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie)