Office of the Revenue Commissioners
Encyclopedia
The Office of the Revenue Commissioners (RC), - now called simply Revenue - is the Irish Government
agency responsible for customs
, excise
, tax
ation and related matters. Though Revenue can trace itself back to predecessors (with the Act of Union 1800
amalgamating its forerunners with HM Customs and Excise in the United Kingdom
), the current organisation was created for the independent Irish Free State
in 21 February 1923. Revenue was established by Revenue Commissioners Order, 1923 and is responsible to the Minister for Finance
and was for many years referred to as the Revenue Commissioners.
Revenue consists of a Chairman and two Commissioners all of whom have the status of Secretary General as used in Departments of State
. The first Commissioners, appointed by W. T. Cosgrave, were Charles J. Flynn, William Denis Carey and William T. O'Brien, the chairman. The current Commissioners are: Chairman Josephine Feehily, and Commissioner Michael O'Grady. Additionally there are approximately 7,000 full-time equivalent staff.
Revenue is based in Dublin Castle
and uses a symbol of its gates as its logo, while its staff of almost 7,000 work in almost all of the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland
. The motto of Revenue translates as "to serve the community by fairly and efficiently collecting taxes and duties and implementing Customs controls".
From April 1979 until June 2000 Revenue had control of the issue of the Personal Public Service Number
(then referred to as Revenue and Social Insurance Number) to individuals. In 1991 it delegated a block of numbers to the Department of Social Welfare and on 19 June 2000 the issuing was transferred to the department entirely.
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
agency responsible for customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
, excise
Excise
Excise tax in the United States is a indirect tax on listed items. Excise taxes can be and are made by federal, state and local governments and are far from uniform throughout the United States...
, tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
ation and related matters. Though Revenue can trace itself back to predecessors (with the Act of Union 1800
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
amalgamating its forerunners with HM Customs and Excise in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
), the current organisation was created for the independent Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
in 21 February 1923. Revenue was established by Revenue Commissioners Order, 1923 and is responsible to the Minister for Finance
Minister for Finance (Ireland)
The Minister for Finance is the title held by the Irish government minister responsible for all financial and monetary matters. The office-holder controls the Department of Finance and is considered one of the most important members of the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Finance is...
and was for many years referred to as the Revenue Commissioners.
Revenue consists of a Chairman and two Commissioners all of whom have the status of Secretary General as used in Departments of State
Department of State (Ireland)
A Department of State of Ireland, is a department or ministry of the Government of Ireland. The head of such a department is a Minister of the Government , often called a 'cabinet minister' or 'government minister' which should not be confused with Minister of State which is a junior non-cabinet...
. The first Commissioners, appointed by W. T. Cosgrave, were Charles J. Flynn, William Denis Carey and William T. O'Brien, the chairman. The current Commissioners are: Chairman Josephine Feehily, and Commissioner Michael O'Grady. Additionally there are approximately 7,000 full-time equivalent staff.
Revenue is based in Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
and uses a symbol of its gates as its logo, while its staff of almost 7,000 work in almost all of the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland
Counties of Ireland
The counties of Ireland are sub-national divisions used for the purposes of geographic demarcation and local government. Closely related to the county is the County corporate which covered towns or cities which were deemed to be important enough to be independent from their counties. A county...
. The motto of Revenue translates as "to serve the community by fairly and efficiently collecting taxes and duties and implementing Customs controls".
From April 1979 until June 2000 Revenue had control of the issue of the Personal Public Service Number
Personal Public Service Number
The Personal Public Service Number is an identifier issued by Client Identity Services, Department of Social and Family Affairs on behalf of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs in Ireland....
(then referred to as Revenue and Social Insurance Number) to individuals. In 1991 it delegated a block of numbers to the Department of Social Welfare and on 19 June 2000 the issuing was transferred to the department entirely.
See also
- Criminal Assets BureauCriminal Assets BureauThe Criminal Assets Bureau is a law enforcement agency in Ireland, the purpose of which is to recover the proceeds of organised crime. It is a division of the Garda , but reports annually to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform...
- Deposit Interest Retention TaxDeposit Interest Retention TaxDeposit Interest Retention Tax is a form of tax on interest earned on bank accounts in Republic of Ireland that was first introduced in the 1980s. In Ireland, income from any source is reckonable for taxation purposes...
- Irish vehicle registration platesIrish vehicle registration platesRegistration marks on number plates in Ireland issued since 1987 have the format YY-CC-SSSSSS where the components are:* YY — a 2-digit year * CC — a 1- or 2-character county identifier Registration marks on number plates in Ireland issued since 1987 have the format YY-CC-SSSSSS where...
- Revenue On-Line ServiceRevenue On-Line ServiceThe Revenue On-Line Service , is a pioneer in European internet applications, and it is run by Revenue in the Republic of Ireland. The ROS system allows companies and other business concerns who are liable for tax in the Republic of Ireland to file certain Tax Returns online using a Secure Site...
- Taxation in the Republic of IrelandTaxation in the Republic of IrelandIn the Republic of Ireland there is an income tax, a VAT, and various other taxes. Employees pay pay-as-you-earn taxes based on their income, less certain allowances. The taxation of earnings is progressive, with little or no income tax paid by low earners and a high rate applied to top earners...