Courts / Tipperary / Report

Revenue at loss of €5k over failure to disclose commission, Lowry trial hears

Date
2018-06-15
Stage
Trial
Primary locality
Holycross
County
Tipperary

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a jury heard that Revenue was at a loss of €5,541 when a company owned by Independent TD Michael Lowry received a payment in 2002 but only accounted for it in 2006. The State's case was that Garuda Ltd, Lowry's company, received Stg £248,624 (€372,000) in commission from Norpe OY, a Finnish refrigeration company, in August 2002. It was alleged that Lowry arranged for the payment to be made to a third party in the Isle of Man, so it did not appear in the company accounts for that year, nor was it declared as income. The accounts were then allegedly falsified in 2007 to reflect that the payment was received in 2006. Lowry (64) pleaded not guilty to four charges of filing incorrect tax returns between August 2002 and August 2007 and one charge of failing to keep proper accounts for the same period.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Revenue at loss of €5k over failure to disclose commission, Lowry trial hears. Charges or matters: four charges of filing incorrect tax returns on dates between August 2002 and August 2007 in relation to a sum of Stg £248,624 received by his company, Garuda Ltd and one charge in relation to failing to keep a proper set of accounts on dates between 28 August, 2002 and August 3, 2007. Procedural stage: trial

When:

Why: He agreed with Michael O'Higgins SC, defending Mr Lowry, that because Garuda incorrectly returned corporation tax on the commission in 2006 rather than 2002, the company actually made an overpayment of €575. Defence account reported by CNI

Case subjects

Unnamed man

Defendant

Charges: four charges of filing incorrect tax returns on dates between August 2002 and August 2007 in relation to a sum of Stg £248,624 received by his company, Garuda Ltd and one charge in relation to failing to keep a proper set of accounts on dates between 28 August, 2002 and August 3, 2007 (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Places mentioned

Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

Topics

Stage Trial

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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