One of the minimum expectations of Government might be that it should stand behind at least those laws that it has enacted itself.

Strange then that Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore, and some of his party, have chosen to attack the Revenue in
the ongoing Local Property Tax fiasco
for fairly and accurately implementing
the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act
2012 that was passed by a Government in which he is the deputy leader.

That payment of the 2014 tax should have blown up in the Government’s face is not entirely unexpected.

The Government was more than happy to see the tax introduced on a half-year basis for 2013. But the law it framed and passed through the Oireachtas it dominates stated that returns, in general, would be made on November 7th.

It should have been clear from the early Exchequer boost back in May how many people were choosing to pay the tax upfront in a lump sum.

A repetition with Christmas looming was always likely to spell trouble, but
no one in Government thought to
institute avoiding action until the crisis blew up.

The exasperation of the Revenue with the ongoing row over the immediate deduction of lump sums from those choosing to pay the 2014 charge through debit or credit card is palpable in the final words of the public information notice appearing in today’s papers.

Outlining all the ways that people can pay the tax – and sensibly beginning with those methods that allow phased payments throughout the year – it concludes: “Pay LPT by credit/debit card: Credit/debit card will be debited when the transaction is made online – this is how credit/debit cards work”

Indeed.

Revenue is doing its job as mandated by Government: it’s not unreasonable that they should expect some support from those who set the rules.