Aoife Quinn in tax dispute with Revenue over payments from Russian companies
Aoife Quinn, daughter of one-time billionaire
Seán Quinn
, is embroiled in a dispute with the Revenue Commissioners over tax payable on money she received from Russian companies owned by her family's business empire.
The Revenue Commissioners has appealed to the High Court a Tax Appeals Commission determination published last year in respect of Ms Quinn's income tax assessment for 2011 and 2012, when she received monies arising from 'bogus' employment contracts signed with three Quinn Group-owned Russian companies – Finansstroy, Red Sector and Logistica.
The High Court heard on Wednesday that Ms Quinn contends these contracts were a cash extraction scheme, primarily used to fund the Quinn family's legal battle with the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC).
In the 2010s, Seán Quinn and his children, including Ms Quinn, were involved in proceedings against IRBC, home to the remnants of the Anglo Irish Bank, which collapsed during the economic crash of 2008.
READ MORE
The proceedings centred on IBRC's attempts to recover billions of euro of debts owed to Anglo Irish Bank by the Quinn family. Following various cases, the litigation was resolved in 2019.
According to court documents, Ms Quinn received almost €540,000 in gross payments from the three Russian companies owned by Quinn Group between 2011 and 2012. The total tax bill issued by the Revenue for the two years came to €301,718.
Last year, the Tax Appeals Commission determined the money received by Ms Quinn from Finansstroy (€351,465.20 gross) should be removed from Revenue's assessment of her income tax returns for 2011 and 2012, after finding the money was incorrectly assessed.
The commissioner's determination was based on Ms Quinn's evidence, and the findings of Russian courts, that the 'employment' relationship between Ms Quinn and Finansstroy 'was wholly bogus and unlawful'.
There is a specific provision in Irish law that allows for taxing of profits or gains obtained unlawfully, but the Revenue did not assess the Finansstoy money under this provision.
The commissioner noted there was no finding of criminality in respect of the employment relationship.
Ms Quinn had appealed to the Tax Appeals Commission following Revenue's assessment of her income tax returns for 2011 and 2012.
Revenue appealed the commissioner's determination to the High Court last year, seeking the court's opinion on several points of law it says arises from the determination.
Opening the case on Wednesday, Aoife Goodman SC, appearing with Kieran Binchy BL appearing for Revenue, submitted to Ms Justice Siobhán Stack that the commissioner erred in finding the income received from Finansstroy could only be assessed under section 58 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. This section allows for taxation of profits or gains where the source of which is unknown, or arises from an unlawful source or activity.
Revenue assessed the Finansstroy money under section 18 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, which allows for taxing of income arising from an employment outside the State.
Ms Goodman also submitted that the commissioner was wrong to conclude that the Revenue was 'aware of the unlawfulness' of the source of the Finansstroy money when it made its income tax assessment.
Bernard Dunleavy SC, appearing with Eoin O'Shea BL for Ms Quinn, will lay out his client's case on Thursday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Male pedestrian (60s) dies after being hit by tractor in Co Clare
A man in his 60s has died after he was hit by a tractor on the L7006 at Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge in Co Clare. Gardaí and emergency services responded to the crash which occurred shortly after 10.15am today. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. His body has been transferred to University Hospital Limerickand a postmortem will take place in due course. The coroner has been informed and an inquest is expected to take place at a later date. The road is currently closed to facilitate a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. Road users with any camera footage who were travelling in the area between 10am and 10.15am today are asked to make it available to gardaí. READ MORE Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ennis Garda station on 065 684 8100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. Meanwhile, a young boy is in a serious condition in hospital after he was hit by a car in Co Donegal last night. The child was walking in the village of Ramelton when he was struck on the R245 road to Letterkenny at around 6pm. The emergency services rushed to the scene and the boy was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital for immediate treatment. The boy's condition is not yet known. There is a large volume of traffic in Co Donegal this weekend for the Donegal International Rally which is taking place over three days from Friday to Sunday. However, it is not understood that this incident was directly related to the rally event itself.
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Man who anally raped woman jailed for five years
A man who anally raped a woman on their first date, despite her telling him repeatedly he did not have her legal consent to do so, has been jailed for five years and three months. Gary Coffey (37), formerly of Leinster Road West, Dublin, was found guilty by a jury of one count of anal rape and one count of sexually assaulting the woman at his home address in January 2023 following a Central Criminal Court trial in March this year. The court heard the victim wished to keep her anonymity and did not wish for Coffey to be named. However, he is not legally entitled to anonymity as there is no link between him and the victim that could lead to her identification. Sentencing Coffey on Thursday, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor said the aggravating factors included that the offending took place in Coffey's home, a place where the victim had been invited and should have been safe. READ MORE The judge noted it was 'important to remember' that consent to sexual activity can be withdrawn. She added the jury heard evidence during the trial that there was consent to certain sexual activity but not to anal sex. The judge set a headline sentence of seven years, which she reduced to six years, having considered the mitigation and Coffey's personal circumstances. She suspended the final nine months of the sentence on strict conditions, including that Coffey place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service for 12 months post-release, and backdated the sentence to when he entered custody in March. The court heard the pair met on an online dating site and had arranged to go for drinks on the evening in question, but Coffey asked the woman to come to his house instead as he needed to shower. Det Garda Seán Carrick told the court the pair had some drinks in Coffey's bedroom as the woman did not wish to meet his mother. They started engaging in consensual sexual activity, but Coffey said he didn't want to use a condom and instead asked the woman if he could have anal sex. The woman refused, saying she had never done this before and had no wish to do so. They had consensual vaginal sex but Coffey kept pestering the woman to let him have anal sex with her. The court heard the woman told Coffey he did not have legal consent to have anal sex with her, later telling gardaí she could not have been clearer in relation to her wishes. At one point, when Coffey went to the bathroom, she got dressed, but Coffey told her she couldn't leave and persuaded her to come back to bed. While there, he anally raped her with his finger. The woman was terrified, and Coffey had his arms around her chest to the point where she felt like she was choking. She managed to escape the bed and left the house quickly. She blocked Coffey on the dating website and WhatsApp, and when he phoned her repeatedly, she blocked his number. She contacted the rape crisis centre and gardaí shortly afterwards and was taken to a sexual assault treatment unit. When Coffey's home was searched, gardaí found five tasers and a quantity of cannabis. He was convicted of these offences and has a total of eight previous convictions, the court heard. In his plea of mitigation, Seamus Clarke SC, defending, said a psychological report prepared for the court indicated that Coffey potentially had a form of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in addition to mental health issues. Mr Clarke told the court Coffey now accepts he was wrong and didn't have the woman's consent, despite the fact that the probation report concluded that while he accepts the jury's verdict, he is not accepting responsibility for the rape.
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Dark cloud' hanging over Laytown following death of teenager
A 'dark cloud' is hanging over a Co Meath village following the death of a teenage boy who was swimming in Laytown, Co Meath yesterday evening. A search operation was launched at about 6.15pm after reports were received that a youth was in difficulty in the water. The boy was swimming with his friends in the Rivery Nanny near Laytown beach. The Rescue 116 helicopter and the Coast Guard Unit from Drogheda were among those who attended at the scene. The boy's body was taken from the water shortly after 9.30pm and was removed to Our Lady's Hospital in Navan, Co Meath where a postmortem is due to take place. READ MORE Gardaí have indicated that videos of the incident are in circulation and ask that footage and imagery not be shared. Minister of State for European Affairs and Meath East Fianna Fáil TD, Thomas Byrne, said that it was 'devastating' to hear of the teenager's death. . 'My heart goes out to his family, friends and all who are grieving. A summer moment has turned in to an incalculable loss. 'Thank you to the Coast Guard teams, emergency services, and local volunteers who responded. He asked people to respect the family's privacy and avoid sharing any images or details online. Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Cllr Sharon Tolan, said 'a dark cloud' was hanging over the community following the death. She said her 'thoughts and prayers' were with everyone impacted by the tragic incident. Independent councillor Carol Lennon, whose municipal district is in Laytown, said what started as a great summer's day ended with 'the loss of a young life, a teen, enjoying the first tasters of summer in 2025.' This is the second drowning of a teenager in Ireland this week. On Tuesday, Peter Byrne (17) from Cloghristick, Milford in Co Carlow drowned in the River Barrow. He was swimming with a friend when he got in to difficulty around 6.30pm in the river in the Milford area outside Carlow town. His body was recovered at 11.30pm on Tuesday. His remains were taken to Waterford University Hosptial where a postmortem examination took place. A file is also being prepared for the coroner. Funeral arrangements have been finalised for Mr Byrne. He will lie in repose at is home in Carlow from 1pm tomorrow with prayers at 8pm. His funeral will take place at The Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow at 10am with burial following at St Mary's Cemetery. His family have asked that mourners donate to Irish Water Safety in lieu of flowers. He is survived by his parents Antoinette and Stephen, his step-father Dermot, his five siblings, and his grandparents.
