Debt-collecting sheriffs warned the Government that the suspension of tax enforcement during the Covid-19 pandemic threatened their survival and that the closures of their offices would lead to increased tax defaults.
New figures published in Revenue’s 2021 annual report this week showed that sheriffs received just 707 referrals from Revenue for the collection of taxes valued at just €17.7 million for the entirety of last year, down from 72,697 in 2019 valued at almost €421 million. Sheriffs had received “little work” since the start of the pandemic and had survived on the Government’s pandemic wage support schemes that ended on April 30th, he said.“The State now risks losing this important enforcement mechanism as sheriffs offices are facing closure due to their inability to finance themselves,” he told Ms McEntee.
“My office is now operating at a sustained loss and is now uneconomic as a consequence of Revenue’s policy to suspend enforcement. The annual costs associated with running my office is in excess of €110,000 and this is before I draw any salary for myself,” he said.Mr O’Malley told the Minister that the closure of his office would undoubtedly send a very negative message to taxpayers.