Bogus non-resident accounts held at AIB Finance comprised nearly 40 per cent of AIB's £90 million (€114.28 million) DIRT bill, according to the Revenue Commissioner's Report presented to the Dail Committee of Public Accounts this week. In all, the Revenue collected more than £170 million from the audits.

The report, seen by The Irish Times, shows that AIB Finance's role in DIRT evasion accounted for £34.6 million of the bank's total DIRT settlement with the Revenue Commissioners.

Its look-back audit, which covered the period between 1986 and 1999, established that AIB Finance had an underlying DIRT liability of £14.5 million. The Revenue Commissioners applied interest on this amount of £19.9 million and penalties of £196,000.