Sir, – I have believed all my life in the principle that “Absolute figures tell us absolutely nothing”. A learnable lesson was there as the government gloated on the growing property-related tax returns to the Exchequer in the boom years, failing to recognise the fact that this was becoming a disproportionate share of overall taxes. It either missed or ignored the trends.
So as I read the detail of the most recent tax returns (Business, September 4th), an alarm sounded. VAT returns are down 27 per cent against target in the most recent tax period. No doubt the overall take will see us meeting troika targets, because of taxes arising from non-productive taxes, household taxes for example.
However, I say to the Inner Cabinet, even the 1960s icon “Dáithí Lacha” would recognise that these VAT trends clearly point to a need to change policy direction and reverse these hugely negative trends. – Yours, etc,
PADDY GOGARTY,
Woodlands,
Portmarnock,
Co Dublin.