A politician who owes the taxman over $2.6million has skipped the country – to cheer on Ireland at the European Championships.
Wexford deputy Mick Wallace has admitted that he falsified tax returns on the sale of apartments by his troubled building company.
The outspoken Independent representative has also confessed that the Irish taxman will probably ‘never’ see the money owed as his building firm is crippled with debt.
The Irish Sun newspaper reports that Wallace has left his troubles behind to travel to Poland for all three Irish games at the Euro 2012 finals.
His spokesman told the paper: “He is staying for the three matches.”
Wallace is undertaking the soccer journey of a lifetime by car after admitting the tax and fines for the false accounts are unlikely to be paid.
“Bar some bank were to come in and rescue the company, which is very unlikely in this climate, it is very unlikely Revenue will get the money,” said Wallace.
The Independent deputy said he under-declared VAT to ‘stop his firm going under’ and save 60 jobs.
His revelation sparked an angry outcry in the Irish parliament when Labor Party deputy Eamon Malone described Wallace as a ‘tax evader’.
Discussing a motion put forward by Wallace, Malone added: “Tax compliant members of the State require some explanation of this. When I see motions such as today’s, where there is no explanation from someone who engages in tax evasion, I am appalled.”
Likewise Fine Gael party chairman Charlie Flanagan fumed: “It’s a pretty dismal precedent when a member of the Dail admits to having knowingly filed inaccurate tax returns.”
Wallace is refusing to quit and maintain he is fit to hold office in the Irish parliament.
He said: “No, I won’t quit and I shouldn’t have to. The idea I’m a serial tax defaulter is unfair. “
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.sirpeter | Jun 13, 2012, 04:46 PM EDT
lol@Seano.Loyal is like a pop up advertisement.You click him and another piece of his crap pops up in front of ya.;))
IrelandNorth | Jun 11, 2012, 08:51 AM EDT
Wallace wasn't a public representative when this occurred. I intuit it's a unwritten rule that employers retain tax and pension contributions for as long as possible to avail of the interest as payment for being unpaid collectors of state taxes. A a self-made millionaire in the building trade, Mick is being punished by the rightwing for being a naughty boy and mixing with the lefties.
seanomelb | Jun 11, 2012, 02:11 AM EDT
Dano preaching to the converted.
DanOLoingsigh | Jun 10, 2012, 03:55 AM EDT
Just to clarify, Deputy Wallace failed to pass on to the Revenue monies he had collected as VAT. This was NEVER his money, or his taxes…he made a false declaration to the Revenue, leaving him with funds that should have gone into the public purse…whichever way you cut it, it’s conduct unbecoming for a public representative…
seanomelb | Jun 09, 2012, 08:03 PM EDT
OOOOH! sirpeter I'm tempted but I promise to hold back.God my fingers are itchy!!
sirpeter | Jun 09, 2012, 05:43 PM EDT
It appears this article is a lie.Mick Wallace is not in Poland.
LoyalCitizen | Jun 09, 2012, 06:08 AM EDT
@sirpeter: @Murph46: Are you related?.............Why do you people get onto an international computer system and display your lack of skills and knowledge of the world for everybody to see........Maybe you share the same psychiatrist.
Murph46 | Jun 09, 2012, 05:47 AM EDT
Typical obfuscation LoyalCitizen-Always one to run when faced with the facts!Sorry sirpeter, but Loyal is but a pimple on our butts!
sirpeter | Jun 08, 2012, 09:19 PM EDT
Murph46.See what you did? You responded to LoyalCitizen.If you said nothing we would have just got one post from him on this article.Now you have him running amok.
LoyalCitizen | Jun 08, 2012, 09:02 PM EDT
@Murph46: You could not deal with facts......Let me know when you go back to school and can get some skills to figure some things for yourself, like most adults.
seanomelb | Jun 08, 2012, 07:25 PM EDT
If he is charged and found guilty of a criminal offense he will loose his seat in the Dail.To Scrivner-- all forms of taxation are scammed at some point by individuals and corporations.Corporations and businesses collect consumption tax for government making it a more difficult tax for most people to rort especially in a cashless society.Wallace simply did not pay his taxes it is irrelevant as to what type of tax it was.
Murph46 | Jun 08, 2012, 06:57 PM EDT
The gist of all your talk LoyalCitizen is "I bet" "you could also say" -You could say that Loyal is a big windbag with no grounding in truth,pure speculation.Talk to me Loyal when you come with pure facts until then -pound salt!
Scrivner | Jun 08, 2012, 05:45 PM EDT
To my fellow Americans who have been calmoring fr a consumption tax to replace the income tax--please note that Mick scammed on the VAT, the self-policing consumption tax of the EU!
LoyalCitizen | Jun 08, 2012, 10:49 AM EDT
@Murph46: I bet he has his finger in every pie and is looking to finance your pretentious corporations..........You could also say he has picked the bad tax habits of pretentious American Corporations .........You want to be careful we don't get a court system that works ......... All the tax breaks your pretentious corporations received are in valid, which means that you are liable for the taxes still, just like dodgy Mick.
Bythebay | Jun 08, 2012, 10:28 AM EDT
There are plenty in the US who circumvented the rules, avoided the taxman, caused economic collapse and nothing has been done about them. All the illegal aliens there as well bilking the society can't be deported.
Murph46 | Jun 08, 2012, 10:11 AM EDT
Hey LoyalCitizen =Mick ain't an American Corp.,he's one of your boys!
LoyalCitizen | Jun 08, 2012, 09:41 AM EDT
The traitors of Ireland do not fear prosecution because they managed to falsify the rule books to use opinions in law and circumvent the rules...........If this were an ordinary person he would be in jail by now.
bogsidebunny | Jun 08, 2012, 09:40 AM EDT
What a fine specimin of a Liberal Socialist politician. A faux Socialist, however since he's lined his pockets while scamming the population of County Wexford. And the best part is: he's an Independent, so the Dáil cannot toss him out of his TD position. All they can do is issue a written censure. So old Goldie Locks with the wrinkled pink shirt (I emphasise singlar pink shirt) will continue to collect a salary of over $100,000 per year, expanses in the neighbourhood of $55,000 per year and qualify for a hefty pension after serving on 5-years as a TD. Nice work if you can get it and he worked his tail off handing out "gifts" to his constituents to get elected.