Sir, – Further to "Revenue to track rental income from landlords for first time" (September 25th), as the article does point out on careful reading, the only landlords who did not have to give precise details of residential rental income were those who had commercial property income as well, and who therefore included this income in a larger total figure.
There is no suggestion from Revenue that such landlords were deliberately hiding these figures or were not paying full and proper tax on the income.
The article raises doubts about “claims” from landlords of residential properties that their tax burden has increased substantially in recent years, and yet further into the piece it is confirmed that it is entirely true that such landlords face a greater tax burden since the introduction of the LPT and the reduction in tax relief on interest payments (an increased tax burden imposed uniquely on landlords and on no other businesses).
Of course, with increased rents, such landlords will be paying more tax, and that’s as it should be.
But landlords in the private sector must wonder why they continue to be bashed for actually providing homes when the incontrovertible fact is that the housing shortage is not a market failure but is caused by failures of public provision. – Yours, etc,
PAUL CARROLL,
Clane,
Co Kildare.