Paul Smyth jailed for tax offence on rental income

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Paul Smyth was jailed for two years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for failing to pay tax on rental income from 15 properties. He pleaded guilty to failing to pay tax on rental income received between 2007 and 2009. The proceedings were reported on 13 January 2017.

The court heard that the total loss to the Revenue Commissioners was €848,444, including €498,949 in unpaid income tax and interest. Revenue officer Sheila Hanley said €599,760 was lodged into three accounts owned by Smyth between 2007 and 2009. The report also said officers found forged driving licences bearing the names Paul Jones and Daniel Smyth during a search on 22 October 2009. Smyth did not engage with Revenue, failed to attend court dates in 2014, and was arrested in Spain on a European arrest warrant in September 2016.

Judge Melanie Greally imposed the two-year sentence, backdated to September 2016, when Smyth was arrested in Spain. She noted a “very significant level of dishonesty” and said the late guilty plea was diluted. Defending, Colman Fitzgerald SC said Smyth was a carpenter who had worked to support his children and that all his properties had been repossessed.