Tax avoidance
Overview
You do not have to arrange your tax affairs so that you pay the maximum amount in tax. You are fully entitled to legitimately structure your tax affairs in a tax efficient manner. You must claim benefits of a relief, exemption or allowance in the way that was intended by the legislature. Revenue will challenge inappropriate claims as tax avoidance.
It is Revenue policy to actively challenge tax avoidance transactions and unintended use of the legislation. If you engage in tax avoidance transactions, you may end up paying more than you originally attempted to save. Revenue may apply interest, penalties and, or surcharges, in addition to the tax amount you attempted to save. This is in addition to the costs involved in dealing with Revenue's enquiries and potentially lengthy litigation.
The purpose of this section is to:
- make you aware of the consequences of engaging in tax avoidance
- encourage you to review your tax and duty affairs regularly
- encourage you to seek advice from a reputable tax advisor if you are unsure about a transaction
- encourage you to quantify and report any irregularities to Revenue.
Next: What is tax avoidance?