Tax credit cheat ordered to do community service in lieu of prison sentence

Alan McNamara diverted almost €20,000 to his accounts after agreeing to help people manage their tax credits online

A Dublin man who diverted almost €20,000 to his own accounts after agreeing to help people manage their tax credits online has been ordered to do community service to avoid a jail term.

Alan McNamara (26), Broadford Hill, Ballinteer, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to five sample charges under the Taxes Consolidation Act. The offence can result in fines of up to €5,000 or a maximum jail sentence of one year.

At his sentence hearing, the first-time offender was told by Judge John O’Neill that he must carry out 200 hours’ community service in lieu of a three-month prison sentence.

Judge O’Neill heard that the young man had been found to have a “need to please” and helped seven individuals manage their tax affairs through Revenue’s online PAYE Anytime system. However, he was overcome with temptation and shifted their credits to his own bank account between February 2009 and May the following year.

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Tax inspector Fiona Phelan had agreed that McNamara had been asked by a number of people to help operate them their tax affairs online. They gave him their details and pins.

However, McNamara later changed their profiles so tax credits would go into his bank account instead.