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THE REVENUE COMMISSIONERS has spent €67,000 on the local property tax helpline, which is administered by an outside company, in the first quarter of this year.
Figures disclosed by the Minister for Finance in answer to a recent parliamentary question indicate that the cost for the delivery of service by Abtran was €67,000 in the first three months of this year.
The cost is calculated on the volume of calls handled while the individual cost of a call to the helpline is dependent on the individuals’ phone network as well as the type of phone package they have with their operator, according to Noonan.
As part of its agreement with Revenue, Abtran is tasked with helping people understand and complete the property tax form as well as navigate the online system for filing their return.
Abtran was mired in controversy recently when it emerged that it had to suspend a worker suspected of asking callers for their credit card details unnecessarily and attempting inappropriate and potentially fradulent transactions.
The Cork-based company said that 11 callers’ card details had been taken unnecessarily but Revenue insisted at the time that nobody had suffered a loss as a result of the incident.
This was a point was repeated by Noonan in his answer to the parliamentary question posed by independent TD Richard Boyd-Barrett and he said that as gardaí are investigating the incident it would be inappropriate for him to comment further.
“Revenue would like to reassure people that payment of tax by either credit or debit card is completely secure and that in the unlikely event of any illegal access, the card owner will not suffer any loss,” Noonan added.
Have you used the local property tax helpline? What has been your experience of the service? Let us know in the comments.
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That isn’t expensive at all. Given the story of a government department spending many thousands on logo design, €67k is pretty minimal.
yea and they sold the ritz hotel for 1 million,, and wiped out 50 million of debts,, not expensive for our country,, sack nama next,, dear good god,, they are looking after the rich and putting the poor jobless person out of their homes,, we are a sick sick sick country,,
Quite good value really.
It seems such good value that I wonder was a zero left off the end! Despite my objections to how this tax is being calculated, who is paying what etc, these are political matters – Revenue seem pretty impressive in how they are handling the administration part of it (so far).
Revenue is a v professional department – the model gov dept.
Very good value. Well done to all
Great value, I wonder what the salary of the poor sods answering the calls is?
Not bad value really.
What! For 23 calls?
This is actually a good news story. 67k is pretty small though I would like to know how many calls their Helpdesk has actually taken for that 67k. Either way I reckon the journal could have done a better job selling the good news in their head line.
A positive slant to a Government story? Are you crazy?
How much do they charge per call ? I could keep ringing them till I get my property tax wort :)
Free calls mate
Complete waste of money, and doesn’t include the tens of thousands spent on spindoctors and PR companies promoting this tax robbery as some kind of good news. And add in the “free” publicity provided by state/government broadcaster RTE
Great job FG we will keep you in power
Up fG great job Edna great job
I tried to phone them twice, gave up after holding for 27 minutes the first time and 33 minutes the second time – maybe thats why the cost is smaller than expected. I also emailed them 6 days ago, still waiting for a reply …..
They’re spending the property taxes now Willy Nilly shower of ..
..ers. No way should they have envoked that costing for that service probably a relation / friend got contract.
Where is my comment gone ?
He’s just STANDING UP for what he believes in
I called them but they couldn’t take my payment over the phone. there I was credit card at the ready and no payment! said they’d call me back to take payment in couple of days. still waiting. ah well! :)
Only in Ireland would people praise the efficiency of those robbing them. Sad but not surprising.
Seems like good value. I called 3 times. I got 3 different answers to the same question. 1st call: guy had a definite answer but ended up being wrong. 2nd call: woman on her first day and didn’t know. 3rd call and woman had a definite answer but only after double checking and ringing me back. I think they are bluffing their way through some of it especially in regards to categories of liable properties.
And yet this company only pays their staff €8.65 per hour….. So a lot of the money they recieve is profit…
Does that figure include the salaries of the staff ?
have your say